


Painted Stars

by Nymphadorable



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cabin Fic, Christmas, Cock Piercing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Happy Ending, Lace, Light Angst, Light BDSM, Light Bondage, Lingerie, M/M, Masturbation, Masturbation in Shower, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Piercings, Prostate Massage, Prostate Milking, Rough Sex, Sharing a Bed, Slash, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Kisses, Sleepy Sex, Smut, Soulmates, Spanking, Tattoos, True Love, Winter Wonderland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:28:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28440168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nymphadorable/pseuds/Nymphadorable
Summary: As the holiday season approaches a boy can find himself struggling to scrounge up those cheery Christmas feelings. However, if he's really lucky he might find that he's got Luna Lovegood for a friend; happy to offer her cabin as a quiet winter escape.The hitch? There is only one bed. And Luna? Well, she has more than one friend.
Relationships: Neville Longbottom & Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom/Harry Potter
Comments: 16
Kudos: 156
Collections: Pen15 is Mightier Prompt Exchange 2020





	1. Harry's Holiday Debacle

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [Pen15isMightierPromptExchange2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Pen15isMightierPromptExchange2020) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>   
> As the weather takes a turn for the worse, two friends are stuck in a remote cabin. Of course, it gets cold at night at there's only one bed...
> 
> The more tropes and smut, the better. Preferably slash pairings.
> 
> A special thank you to goes out to [Keep_Calm_And_Expecto_Patronum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keep_Calm_And_Expecto_Patronum/pseuds/Keep_Calm_And_Expecto_Patronum) for inspiring me to write this story. I hope that you enjoy the journey our boys find themselves on.
> 
> I've also created a playlist on Spotify for you, in celebration of Nev & Harry. Here it is for your enjoyment:
> 
> [Neville & Harry - Painted Stars](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5PtK8G5geLeBuQ4j3OAqqk?si=swCmKuDZRKSee1AmqYtjeg)
> 
> A huge thank you is also in order to [OllieMaye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OllieMaye/pseuds/OllieMaye) , [BrandonStrayne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrandonStrayne/pseuds/BrandonStrayne) , and [Drarryismymuse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hatchersn/pseuds/Drarryismymuse) for helping me in betaing this fic. You girls are the amazing and I don't know what I'd do without you.

**Sunday the 8th of December**

  
  


It had been close to an hour since Athena had delivered the letter to Harry, and now his petite barn owl was perched snugly on his shoulder, huddled against his neck and hooting softly as she slept. Harry, for his part, was leaned all the way back in his—and Sirius's—favourite leather armchair, flipping the letter in lazy circles and occasionally pausing to stare at the familiar Weasley family seal. 

He knew what was inside the envelope; even if years of holiday tradition hadn't been enough of a reminder, the cheery holly border certainly would have been. Still, for some reason, he just couldn't muster up the emotional energy to even open the invitation. It had been a long year, full of joy and happiness, all of which he was so grateful to have been a part of: being the best man in his two closest friends' wedding, teaching Teddy to fly, receiving Ginny and Viktor's engagement announcement. These were all some of the most joyful and proud moments in recent memory—yet, also some of the loneliest. 

Somehow, all of those moments were tinged in grey, as every time he looked around at his wonderful adopted family and their assorted spouses, he was reminded that those were milestones which he would never be able to share with his own parents. It didn't help matters that he had just turned twenty-two four months prior and was now a full year older than either of them had lived to be. So as he sat, feeling partially hollow, he was faced with the realisation that he wasn't sure he had it in him to attend the Burrow's Annual Yule Bash. Just for this year, he needed a little bit of time to process his grief without such a vivid reminder of the loss of his parents and their life together. 

Sighing, he let his head drop against the back of the chair and squeezed his eyes shut to stop the all-too-familiar flow of tears. Somehow, he had to come up with a good excuse not to attend. 

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, wallowing in his own sorrow, but Harry was grateful for the sudden chiming of his doorbell since it served as a much-needed distraction from his woes.

Gently, he coaxed Athena onto his forearm and urged her to perch atop his chair. Once she was comfortably placed, he softly ruffled the feathers below her beak—smiling at her contented hoot—then stood and made his way into the foyer. Glancing down, he checked his watch. _Two o'clock already,_ he mused. _Where does the time go?_

It wasn't until he opened his front door and caught sight of the tumbling cascade of platinum curls that he even remembered today was the second Sunday of December, and thus his bi-monthly afternoon tea with Luna. Her sparkling silver eyes and brilliant smile immediately lifted Harry's spirits and he leaned down to kiss both of her cheeks. 

"Hello Harry," she said sweetly, in her usual dreamy manner. "Happy to see me?"

Grinning, he stepped back, offering her his arm, and nodded as he ushered her inside. 

"Of course, Luna. Welcome back."

Setting the basket she'd brought with her onto the small wooden reception table Harry had placed beside the door after freeing Kreacher, Luna shrugged out of her fuzzy lavender jacket. She hung it up on the coat rack that she'd gifted him as a re-housewarming present and toed off her matching ballet flats. Then, she picked the basket back up and waved for him to follow along as she casually made her way into his kitchen, looking perfectly at home in her surroundings. 

She had been contracted by the Ministry, due to her budding reputation as one of the greatest wizarding naturalists in all of Europe, and had been away on assignment for the past three weeks. Because of this, she hadn't been able to make their last tea date, and it hadn't dawned on Harry just how much he'd missed her until that moment. 

Doing exactly as he'd been instructed, Harry fell into her wake. He couldn't help but smile as she pulled out a chair for him at his own kitchen table. She barely even paused to give him a squeeze before she was making her way over to his range, lighting the stove, and setting a kettle to boil. 

This was their usual routine, and Harry knew there wasn't much point in trying to take over or start a conversation, at least not until the table had been set. So instead, they fell into a companionable silence as she put together the tea service and he set about lighting a fire in the hearth and unpacking the various tea cakes and sandwiches she had brought along as her contribution. As a team, they made quick work of these tasks, and it wasn't long before they were sitting across from one another, each holding a steaming mug of tea, and catching each other up on the past few weeks of their lives.

As always, the conversation came easily, ebbing and flowing like the tide against the shore. But eventually, after he'd completely caught her up in the goings-on of his current caseload, and she had filled him in on the rare and beautiful creatures that she'd been tracking, a quiet lull settled between them. As they sat indulging in their nibbles and sipping at their mugs, Luna fixed her gaze on Harry and, as was her nature, seemed to peer into his very soul. 

With nearly anyone else, even Ron and Hermione, he would have squirmed beneath such close observance. But this was Luna. The one person on earth with whom he never felt the need, or even urge, to mask his discomfort or sorrow from, so he let the mask slip. 

"You're unhappy," she spoke softly, as worry creased her delicate brow. 

Not trusting the steadiness of his voice, he simply looked at her and nodded before reaching into the back pocket of his jeans to retrieve the invitation from where he'd stashed it when she'd come calling. Pulling it out, he placed it gently on the table between them and, with the tips of his fingers, pushed it towards her. 

True to form, it was only a few seconds after she'd picked up the envelope and turned it over in her hands that she had already mulled things over and realisation dawned on Luna's face. Setting the invite back down, she reached across the table and wrapped her hands delicately around Harry's, squeezing them softly. 

"You know, Harry," she said gently, "the holidays are often an especially hard time for those of us who have lost people we love. You aren't required to attend every social gathering to which you're invited."

A lump formed in his throat at her words and he swallowed a couple of times in an attempt to clear it before speaking. 

"I know that," he murmured softly. But even to Harry's own ears, his voice sounded unsure. 

Luna, Merlin bless her, was never one to rush in to contradict him or even push Harry for more information. Instead, she sat quietly across from him, stroking her thumb soothingly back and forth across the ridge of his knuckles, allowing him to share as much or as little as he wanted to, in his own time. It was one of the many reasons he loved her as dearly as he did. 

Finally, clearing his throat, Harry pressed on. 

"It's not that I don't love the Weasleys," he said quietly. "I absolutely adore them, of course. They've taken me in. Not just treating me as though I was family, but truly making me a part of theirs. It's just that sometimes, especially around the holidays, being a member of their family can feel like a vivid reminder of the fact that I've lost mine."

His admission hung heavy in the air, and Harry was mortified by how ungrateful it sounded to his own ears. 

But instead of dismissing or reprimanding him, Luna simply gave his hands another squeeze and softly said, "Well of course it would."

When Harry glanced up at her, surprise shone in his eyes and his cheeks were tinged pink with embarrassment. 

"It would?" he quietly asked.

"Yes, Harry," she replied with a warm, yet sad sort of smile. "You're surrounded by so many people you love, who love you, creating wonderful memories. It's only natural that you would want to be able to share those memories with all of the people you love. Especially the ones who should be there, but can't be. Time doesn't erase the pain of grief; it only softens its edges. But as we all know, a dull knife is far more likely to cut you than one that’s sharp."

The lump in his throat swelled and Harry found himself unable to reply, so instead, he merely nodded and dropped his gaze to the mug on the table in front of him. After a minute or two had passed, Luna stood up, placed a sisterly kiss to the crown of his head, gathered up their empty plates and, in order to give Harry some time to sit with his feelings, she began to wash the dishes. 

He was still staring into his tea when she softly cleared her throat. Glancing up, he found her gaze fixed on him with one dainty brow raised quizzically, and he realised that he must have been so lost in thought that he'd missed what she'd said entirely. 

"I'm sorry, Luna. I seem to have spaced out for the past little while," he said and gave an embarrassed smile as an apology. "Would you mind running that past me once more?"

"Of course not, Harry," she said as her brow smoothed back into place, flashing him a cheerful smile. "I was explaining that I've only just now remembered that Rolf and I are meant to fly to New York over the holidays. We're going there to visit his Great Aunt Queenie Kowalski, so we won't be back until after the New Year."

"Oh. That should make for a happy trip," Harry said, unable to hide his slightly bemused expression. 

"Indeed," she chirped cheerfully. "It should."

By the look that Luna was giving him, it was clear that she'd been telling him about her and Rolf's plans as more than just an anecdote. Feeling a flush rising in his cheeks, Harry gave her a bit of a sheepish smile and continued, "I'm afraid I'm not following along."

"Oh!" she said suddenly, and her features lit up with delight. "What that means is that Rolf and I won't be able to make it up to the Scamander cabin in the Cairngorms this year. Which is too bad, considering that it's a lovely little place, all cosy and snug, settled perfectly into the side of the mountains. The perfect place for someone to escape from their worries and spend some quality time just clearing their mind. However, it really shouldn't be left unattended all winter, so we have been hoping to find someone that might be interested in cabin-sitting for us while we're away."

Realisation of what Luna was offering slowly began to dawn on Harry and his eyes widened at her generosity. 

"You have?" he asked, unable to disguise the hope from his voice. 

"Indeed," came her chipper reply. "I understand if you'd rather spend the holidays at home, here at Grimmauld Place. But, if you do have any interest in heading up north and getting away from the hustle and bustle of London, we would be delighted to have you stay at our place."

Luna even had the kindness to look earnest at the last, and Harry couldn't help the enormous grin that blossomed upon his face. 

"Really?" he asked, brimming with excitement. 

Luna simply smiled and nodded with a soft, "Of course."

Before he knew what had come over him, Harry bolted up from his chair. Nearly knocking it over in his excitement, he quickly righted the piece of furniture, and then strode over to where Luna was standing beside the sink. 

She had opened her arms to him, but let out a startled little chuckle when, instead of the hug that she'd been expecting, he squeezed her tight, lifted her up off the floor and jubilantly spun her around. 

"Thank you, Luna!" he whispered, voice thick with emotion, as he gingerly set her back down. "And please thank Rolf for me too."

Her chime-like laughter filled the kitchen with warmth and wrapped itself around Harry like one of Mrs Weasley's Christmas jumpers. Giving him one last quick squeeze, Luna then stepped back and lightly swatted him on the shoulder. 

"Pish tosh! You know that there's no need to thank us," she softly chided, but there was nothing save for affection reflected back at him in her eyes. Finally, her features softened and Luna smiled up at him before continuing, "Besides, you really will be doing us a considerable favour by watching it for us while we're away."

And just like that, the problem of Harry's holiday debacle had been solved. 


	2. Neville's Holiday Woes

**Monday the 9th of December**

  
  


The sun was just beginning to set as Neville stepped out from Honeydukes on his way to meet Luna and Rolf at the Hog's Head Inn. Above him, the winter sky was painted in vivid hues of rose, violet and honeysuckle, so lovely that he was instantly reminded of his last holiday. He could almost feel the sun-warmed sand beneath his feet and taste the rum-spiked drinks on his tongue—until that is, the bitter chill of December set in, clawing its way into his open jacket and reminding him of just how far away the Hawaiian tropics were. 

As though to drive the point home and urge Neville on his way, fat, white snowflakes began to drift and swirl around him. _Of course,_ he thought to himself, surveying the flurry with a touch of resignation. It's not that he didn't enjoy the snow, it was just that none had been forecasted for at least another four days, and there were a bunch of Shrivelfigs that he would have had his final class of the day help him to move inside the greenhouse, had he known that they'd have to suffer under a blanket of snow until his return. While Shrivelfigs were incredibly hardy plants, they were also notoriously finicky, and he wasn't looking forward to having to baby them for the next week or so, in order to get back in their good graces.

Sighing softly, he zipped up his wool coat to protect against the cold, tucked a block of Luna's favourite Clotted Cream Fudge beneath his arm, and thanked Merlin that there were only two weeks left until the Hogwarts winter holiday. Doing his best to push the surly Shrivelfigs from his mind, as he hurried on towards his friends.

A minute or so later, he found himself approaching their old stomping grounds. He was quick to shut the door behind himself as he stepped inside and gave a courteous nod to the shrunken heads that hung beside the entrance before heading further into the pub. The atmosphere was lively and Neville found himself smiling, feeling instantly at home amongst the mix of locals and his fellow Hogwarts professors that were peppered around the bar and surrounding tables. A quick scan of the room was all that was needed before his eyes landed on a familiar head of champagne curls, and upon spotting them he made his way back to the fireside seating area where Luna and Rolf sat waiting for him. 

They looked to be lost in their own little world, and Neville found himself admiring the two as he drew closer. Snuggled up together, they had yet to notice him, and it wasn't hard to guess why. Rolf had one arm wrapped around Luna's waist with his hand splayed across her hip, drawing her in closer as he whispered something in her ear that was causing a pretty flush to stain her cheeks and her fingers to grip into his thigh. 

They were a handsome couple and Neville wouldn't lie to himself by pretending as if there hadn't been moments when he'd desperately wished to be the other half of the whole to not one, but both of them. Luna with her sweet soul, honeyed locks, and cupid's bow lips, had been the source of many a teenage daydream. While Rolf's perpetually ruffled black hair, high cheekbones, and lopsided grins had immediately reminded Neville of the boy who had stolen his heart half a lifetime ago and kept a tight hold of it even these eleven years later. However, Rolf's hazel eyes (or anyone else's for that matter) could never measure up to the brilliant, primordial fern of Harry's. 

Flushing as though the rest of the patrons could hear his thoughts, Neville mentally shook himself before softly clearing his throat as an announcement of his arrival. Luna and Rolf separated a fraction at the sound of his voice and glanced up guiltily, as though they'd just been caught messing about beneath the quidditch stands. 

Luna, for her part, recovered much more quickly than Rolf, and her features brightened immediately upon discovering who had disrupted them.

"Neville!" she exclaimed happily and stood, rushing into his arms for a delightfully long hug. "It feels like it's been ages since the last time we saw you."

As Neville wrapped his arms around Luna to return her embrace, over her shoulder he spotted Rolf attempting to subtly readjust himself before standing to greet him as well. Unable to help himself, he tauntingly raised a brow when their eyes met and chuckled when, looking like the cat who ate the canary, Rolf winked in return. 

Focusing back on Luna, he rested his cheek atop her head, gave her a soft squeeze and rocked her back and forth as he replied affectionately, "Too true, munchkin. Although weeks always feel like years in your absence."

Rolf smiled at Neville's praise, looking at Luna as though she had hung the stars, and for a brief moment, Neville's heart ached as he wished that he had someone who felt the same way about him. 

Luckily, before he had a chance to fall too deeply into the pit of despair that he'd been flirting with since his Gran had passed earlier in the year, Luna pulled away from him and held him at arm's length to take him in. 

"You know, Neville, I swear that you get more handsome between each of our visits." She said this with such a genuine earnestness that it instantaneously caused a ruddy flush to creep across his cheeks. She then glanced back at Rolf, who was watching their interaction with a lazy smile. "Don't you agree, sweetheart?" she cheerily asked.

"Yes, dear. Nev here is an absolute heartbreaker," he replied with a chuckle and then sat back down to recline against the back of the settee they'd been sharing. Crossing his right ankle over the opposite thigh, he patted the spot beside him in a coaxing motion as he continued, "Now, come back to me and let the poor chap go before his bashfulness causes him to perish beneath your praise."

Neville wasn't sure which he wanted more in that moment, to strangle Rolf or to hug him. But, as they were in public and both were sure to earn him more attention than he wanted, he simply settled for a playful eye roll. Leaning down, he collected a brief kiss on the cheek from Luna and then he dutifully followed along behind her as she led him over to the armchair that they'd been saving for him. 

Before taking a seat, he pulled the fudge from beneath the crook of his arm and presented it to her.

"Look what I found on the way over from Hogwarts."

Luna's silvery eyes widened with an excited glow as she took the package from him and examined it with care. 

"Clotted cream?" she asked giddily.

"The very same," he replied, unable to suppress his smile at her delight. 

"From Honeydukes?" she mused as her fingers ran over the red and gold holiday wrapping.

"Of course."

She looked up at him then with one of her signature smiles. It was so warm and bright that Neville could have sworn she'd figured out how to distil sunlight and he wished for just a moment that she'd share a bottle with him, in hopes that he might be able to pull it out and take a sip when the ever-familiar loneliness that had crept into his life over the past year next decided to rear its ugly head. 

"Thank you!" she gushed, and the happiness in her voice lulled him back from the sadness that had begun to creep in. She was hugging the package to her chest, looking for all the world like a kid on Christmas morning as she continued, "You really needn't have gone out of your way."

But Neville simply kissed her temple and collected one last hug as he said, "Of course I did. It's not every day that I'm given the opportunity to buy my favourite sweet her favourite sweets."

"Second favourite sweet," she corrected him quietly, and as she was the only person who Neville had ever confessed to about his years-long, unrequited love, he knew that it was Harry she was referring to, and not the fudge.

His cheeks flamed at her remark, and he was grateful for the moment to compose himself that he was afforded when Luna returned to Rolf's side and began opening the fudge for them to share. Shrugging out of his jacket, he hung it and his scarf on the back of the chair, beckoned the barmaid with a wave of his hand, and then relaxed into the plush comfort of the worn old wingback. Ready to finally catch up with his friends, it was only a few minutes more before he was holding a steaming mug of mulled cider clutched between his hands and was basking in the warmth of spirits, fireside, and friendship. 

Luna and Rolf had been away for the better part of the last month on assignment from the Ministry, and Neville was quite excited to hear about their excursions, especially as they often brought back the details of new locations teeming with exotic and magical flora and fauna for him to track down on holiday. This last trip of theirs had been especially exciting for Neville, as Rolf was quite certain that they'd run across a rare species of fiddlehead fern that was believed to be useful in the treatment of those who had undergone prolonged torture by the Cruciatus curse. 

Nearly two hours had passed as together they pulled out parchment and quills and began the time-consuming work of copying the sketches and maps that Luna and Rolf had brought along, creating routes and a plan for how Neville could track down the plants over the following spring. After all their plans and the accompanying accoutrements had been stowed away, a calm silence stretched over their cosy little nook and the three friends were finally able to really sit back and relax. 

Neville, feeling far happier than he had in months, was sipping on his cider and watching the flames flicker and dance when Rolf amiably spoke up and broke the spell. 

"So, mate. Do you have any plans for the upcoming holiday?" Neville heard, rather than saw, the stinging slap that Luna aimed against Rolf's thigh. And he closed his eyes against the familiar rush of loss, as she tutted, and Rolf murmured a confused, "What? What's wrong?"

A beat of silence, where Luna must have mouthed something in reply and then a quiet exhalation of breath, which just as likely may have been a muttered curse of realisation. 

"I'm sorry, mate," Rolf said softly. "I wasn't thinking."

Neville grimaced and nodded. But he was afraid to open his eyes and see the all-too-familiar looks of pity that were so common amongst his friends and fellow faculty members. Moreover, he was afraid to open his eyes in fear that these two people, whom he held so dear, would take one look into his and see nothing other than sorrow reflected back at them. It felt as though every time he let his mask slip and shared that vulnerability with others, their first thought was to try and fix him. And Neville didn't want to be fixed. 

His sorrow and loneliness didn't define him. They were simply two completely reasonable reactions to the pain of loss and a lack of having anyone to share both that grief as well as his moments of happiness and triumph with. It felt to Neville, whether true or not, as though everyone he had ever loved had either been taken from him or left him behind, and he wished desperately, just once, that somebody would choose to stay. 

Still, it had been a long time since he let fear, pain, or sorrow rule him and so, taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and turned to face his friends.

Rolf looked beyond embarrassed, as if he wished the ground might open up beneath him and swallow him whole, while Luna was simply watching Neville with a sad smile of her own. But in her eyes there was no pity, instead, she simply watched him with a look of complete understanding. Afterall, she was no stranger to loss herself. 

Rolf, seeming to sense Neville's wary demeanour, straightened up and soldiered on, doing his best to defuse the tension which had sprung forth and reminding Neville of why they got on so well.

"At least tell me that you won't be staying on to chaperone the students remaining behind over the break. I love Minerva, but between her and Hagrid, the two of them will be treating you with kid gloves and mothering you the entire time. It'll only drive you mad."

Neville smiled, truly smiled, at the frankness with which Rolf spoke and he gave a small shrug. 

"Between the two of them and Pomona, I'm likely to be blanketed in bubble wrap and rolled through the corridors," he said with a wistful tilt of the lips. Sighing softly, Neville's eyes dropped to his jeans where he'd begun picking at an invisible piece of lint, before resignedly carrying on, "Unfortunately, I'm not sure that it can be avoided. While I've not yet committed to staying behind, I can't bring myself to go back to Gran's. Not when I know that she'll be gone. And, so far, I've got nowhere else to go."

There was a moment of pause where the three of them digested his confession, each eager to come up with some sort of solution to the problem at hand.

"That's it!" Rolf suddenly shouted with exuberance as he slapped his knee, drawing Neville's attention back across the coffee table that divided them. When he looked up, a dazzling grin was painted across his friend's lips and he was looking enthusiastically at Luna, who briefly appeared to be just as stunned as Neville felt, before a hesitant smile perked at the corners of her mouth. It would seem that both she and he were waiting on bated breath for Rolf to go on. 

Rolf was nearly vibrating with excitement when he looked back at Neville and hurriedly explained, "Luna and I are going to be in New York visiting my great aunt for the holidays!"

Neville chuckled as Rolf's cheerful energy began to wear off on him, and entirely missed the look of realisation as it dawned on Luna's face.

"I know. You two told me when I first arrived," he laughed. "I do hope you're not planning on inviting me to come along as your third. That'd be a bit hard to explain to someone of her generation."

He was only half-joking as he said the last, and further missed the expression of panicked worry that creased Luna's brow as she looked frantically over to her spouse.

Luna realised, belatedly, that she had forgotten to let Rolf know that she'd already offered to let Harry use the cabin during their afternoon tea the day previous. And now, here he was, about to extend that exact same offer to Neville. Opening her mouth, she was just about to interject and give them the unfortunate news, when she glanced over at Neville's smiling face and was struck with a wonderful idea. 

Neville and Harry had both secretly been harbouring feelings for each other over the years. Feelings which they had both disclosed to her on a number of occasions, and feelings which they both had yet to act on, regardless of how many times she had attempted to gingerly urge them in the right direction. And so, she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps a couple of weeks stowed away in a cosy cabin for two, wouldn't be the perfect nudge that they were both in such desperate need of. Besides, she reasoned, even if neither of them were able to summon up the courage to share their feelings with the other, at the very least they wouldn't be spending the holidays alone, throwing matching pity parties. 

So, with her mind made up to let things run their course, Luna closed her mouth before either Rolf or Neville noticed it hanging open. The worry which had creased her brow only moments earlier melded into a calculating delight, which when Neville turned to look at her, he mistook for approval of his cheeky jibe. 

"No, no, no! Of course not!" Rolf chuckled, none the wiser to Luna's plan. "It's just that since we will be in New York, we won't be able to make it out to my family's cabin in the Cairngorms this winter. We could really use someone to check in on it, and you're more than welcome to spend the holidays there if you'd like a bit of peace and quiet. It really is lovely this time of year. Isn't that right, dear?" he asked, turning his attention back towards Luna.

Excitement bubbled up in Neville, and he was so happy he could have jumped for joy. When his gaze followed Rolf's, an enormous smile had transformed her pretty face and Luna was nodding her approval. 

"Oh, yes," she replied contentedly. "It's quite beautiful. You simply never know what types of wonderful surprises will be waiting for you up north."

And just like that, the problem of Neville's holiday woes had been solved. 


	3. A Happy Surprise

**Saturday the 21st of December**

  
  


It had been just shy of a fortnight since Harry had enjoyed afternoon tea with Luna, and somehow that span of time had managed to both speed past and crawl by. The holidays always seemed to bring out the worst in people and thus were the busiest time of year in the Auror’s Office. Because of this, his plate had been quite full with managing his caseload—not to mention finding someone he could bribe into covering for his last-minute, two-week holiday. Luckily, between having one close friend and two exes that were professional Quidditch players, Harry was able to score season passes for the upcoming year at a steal; a small price to pay to Rolf's older brother Magnus for the fifteen days of peace and quiet that lay ahead. Snagging the tickets had also given Harry the opportunity to stop by the Burrow to break the news of his cabin-sitting to the Weasleys. And while Molly had seemed a touch melancholic at the news, she and the rest of the family couldn't find fault in him helping out friends. 

With those tasks completed, all that was left for Harry to do was to pack and wait. A feat which seemed herculean, as he found himself quite looking forward to a woodland getaway—even if secretly he wished that he had someone special to snuggle up with beside the fire on Christmas morning. 

He had found a common theme to the thoughts which had begun to crop up as he sat at his desk over those last handful of days and which seemed determined to distract him from his work. A certain curiosity over how Neville was faring in his new position kept nagging at Harry's consciousness. This curiosity had nothing to do with the fact that he'd had a crush on Nev since their days at Hogwarts, but instead was only because, up until he'd left the Ministry, Neville and Harry had always been assigned to the holiday shift together—a shift that Harry had chosen to volunteer for due to his meagre familial ties and definitely not because it was a way for him to more easily get his fill of golden hair streaked with amber and pale eyes that shone like glaciers. At least that's what Harry had told himself the three years previous. 

And so it was no shock that Harry was more than a little distracted as he hugged Luna in her kitchen, bidding her bon voyage, with the straps of his duffle—which contained both a list of information about the Scamander cabin and a freshly cut set of keys—in one hand and a fistful of Floo powder in the other. Perhaps, if there wasn't so much occupying his mind, he might have noticed the nervous way that Luna glanced in the general direction of her and Rolf's bedroom anytime Harry mentioned her husband's name, or even the impish smile that tilted her lips up as he'd been dropping the list and keys she'd given him into his duffle, but as things stood, he noticed neither. 

Instead, he simply smiled, waved, and murmured a soft, "Happy Christmas, Luna," before clearing his throat and tossing the green powder into Luna and Rolf's kitchen hearth. Stepping into the emerald flames it produced, he tucked his elbows in tight, closed his eyes, and clearly commanded, "Scamander Family Cabin—Cairngorms, Scotland." The flames flickered and rose around him and he disappeared only a scant couple of minutes before a sleep-rumpled Rolf shuffled into the room and pulled Luna into a bleary-eyed good-morning kiss.

When the wind that had kicked up around him died down and his feet finally felt as though they were on solid ground again, Harry opened his eyes and carefully stepped from the large slate fireplace that surrounded him. The room in which he found himself was a beautiful timber and stone kitchen. To his right stood a massive slate and river stone wall that was the backdrop for a handsome forest green range and hood, centred between beautiful wood slab countertops which stretched out and sprawled beneath the large garden window that stood opposite him and showcased a farmhouse sink. 

Sitting beside the sink sat a plate of what looked to be Harry's favourite treacle tarts with a note folded in half and standing beside it like a tent. Approaching the plate, Harry took a brief moment to admire the lovely snow-covered scene that peeked at him from outside the kitchen window before looking back down and picking up the note that awaited him. 

Printed across the front fold of the note, in Luna's familiar sprawling handwriting, was a _Happy Christmas, Darling!_ Harry smiled and picked up a tart. Closing his eyes, he bit into the delectable buttery crust and took a moment to appreciate the deliciously gooey toffee filling as it melted across his palate, before opening them back up and flipping the note open to further inspect the message inside. 

_Thank you again for agreeing to cabin-sit for Rolf and I. We hope that both your stay here and the surprises that the Cairngorms themselves have yet to reveal bring you as much joy as you have brought to both of us. All our love - Luna & Rolf _

_P.S. There is plenty of food and drink in the fridge and the pantry is fully stocked. Enjoy._ ♡

Smiling, Harry set the note back down beside the tarts and turned towards the fridge that had been mentioned and the promise of a snack. The kitchen that surrounded him was beautiful, but it was the sight that met him to his left that really had a jolt of excitement running down his spine, and soon all thoughts of food disappeared from his mind. 

A gorgeous island made from a slab of live edge fir stood centred beneath a massive exposed beam, from which hung a variety of copper pots and pans that perfectly framed the enormous living room beyond. Running his fingertips over the smooth surface of the island, Harry stepped past it and into the room beyond. A stunning wrought-iron chandelier hung above, twinkling and casting a homely glow on the seating area beneath it. Two deep green armchairs made of buttery leather sat to either side of a matching velvet sofa, which had been covered in plush cushions and draped with a cosy-looking blanket that just begged to be snuggled beneath. The seating arrangements were nestled around a rustic coffee table made from the stump of what had once been an enormous tree, which itself sat atop the softest looking sheepskin rug that Harry had ever seen. All of which faced a towering river stone fireplace, flanked on either side by neat stacks of both kindling and logs. Luna must have woken up early in order to light it for his arrival, and Harry smiled at her thoughtfulness as he stepped closer to its warmth and admired the crackling flames for a moment. However, the true showstopper was the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows that stretched across the front wall of the cabin, flooding it with natural light and perfectly showcasing an incredible view of the snow-blanketed forest, meadow and mountains beyond.

Turning and wandering over to the windows, Harry stood and drank in the views. He leaned against one of the sills and contentedly watched the snow fall, appreciating the way that it sparkled and shone in the early morning light, until finally a large pop from the fire behind him broke his concentration and reminded him of the weight of his bag. 

Smiling to himself, he spared one last glance outside and then readjusted his grip on the bag before turning and spotting a winding log staircase that led to a large chalet-style loft which he hadn't noticed before. Figuring that must be where his bedroom would be located, Harry nodded to himself and mounted the staircase with ease. As he crossed over the top step he slowed, glancing back over his shoulder to admire the views that this new vantage point afforded, before turning around and freezing in place. The picturesque landscape behind him was immediately forgotten as Harry's eyes settled upon the immense wrought iron bed laid out before him and, more importantly, its peacefully slumbering inhabitant.

Snoring ever so softly as he slept amongst fluffy pillows and cosy cream linens, which for the most part had been cast aside during the night, was one of the most beautiful men that Harry had ever laid eyes on. Strapping and tall, he had one muscular arm thrown across his eyes, and while that may have concealed the upper third of his face, in reality it only served to draw Harry's eyes to the man's high cheekbones, chiseled jaw and full, pouty lips. A sense of déjà vu rang out in Harry's subconscious, but he ignored it while attempting, and failing, to avert his gaze. Following the path of the man's arm downward, he was rewarded with the sight of broad shoulders, a muscular chest, and another toned arm, all of which were painted with stunning botanical tattoos. 

As his eyes traced over the various types of flora and fauna, Harry marveled at how many hours of delicious pain must have been endured in the creation of each perfect petal, stem, leaf and branch. Feeling his trousers tighten, he let out a soft huff. 

Warning bells were going off in the back of his mind and a quiet internal voice was whispering that this was a mistake. That he should turn around, head back downstairs, take the Floo network back to Luna and Rolf's, and sort out what had happened. Perhaps Rolf had promised the cabin to one of his mates and had forgotten to tell Luna? Either way, Harry knew he shouldn't be standing here ogling the poor chap.

But some invisible force was tethering him down, anchoring him in place as his gaze travelled past beautifully inked limbs to the still-virgin expanse of skin beneath it. Kissed by the sun and softly rising and falling with the deep breaths of sleep were a set of abdominal muscles so perfectly defined that they could have been cut from stone, and Harry watched with rising need as they bunched and unbunched. He flushed crimson as he found himself wondering what exactly they might look like framed between his thighs, and couldn't help himself as his eyes followed them down further still, past the deep vee created by the man's hips, to a neatly trimmed thatch of golden curls centred at the apex of two muscular thighs; curls which rested just above a thick, uncut cock which, even in the semi-erect state of sleep, was so large it made Harry's toes curl. 

The unexpected sight broke Harry from his trance, and hit by a sudden wave of guilt for seeing more than he should've, he backed up in an attempt to flee. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten that he was standing at the edge of a staircase to a loft, rather than a normal room, and so rather than solid ground, his foot came down partially on the landing and partially into open air. Panicking as his stomach seemed to drop out from beneath him, he lurched forward and reached out, luckily managing to catch the railing with one hand before plummeting to his death below. 

And while he may have been lucky enough to save himself from the unfortunate fate of death-by-humiliation, doing so caused Harry to gasp and lose grip of his bag, which immediately dropped to the floor beside him. The thud the leather made as it impacted with the hardwood was soft, but apparently his luck seemed to have run its course, and it was still loud enough to wake the sleeping Adonis before him, whose stirring drew Harry's gaze back to the bed—although this time with a renewed commitment not to allow his gaze to dip any further south than the southern borders mapped out by his tattoos. 

His jaw practically hit the floor when the man, who he'd first thought to be a stranger, yawned and sleepily stretched, shifting his arm and revealing familiar golden curls sexily mussed by sleep and a pair of unmistakable glacier eyes. 

"Harry?" Neville murmured huskily. His already deep voice was gravelly, as though not entirely awake, and a confused smile stretched across his perfect lips as he patted a spot on the bed beside him and softly murmured, "It's cold. Come back to bed." With that, Neville's long amber lashes fluttered shut, and his head dropped back down onto the pillow beneath him with a contented sigh.

_Holy hippogriff!_ Heat flooded through Harry at Nev's words, staining his cheeks pink and causing his heart to beat out an erratic rhythm against his chest. Both need and confusion warred for his attention and his pants had transformed from merely uncomfortable, as they had been a few moments prior, to now being painfully tight. 

_I must have woken him from a dream_ , Harry reasoned, for there was no other explanation as to why Neville would want him to come back to bed. Which was truly unfortunate as, now that he had seen Nev's sheer perfection in all its naked glory, there was nothing Harry wanted more than to shed his own clothes, sink down into the sheets beside him and run his hands over every glorious inch of Nev's body.

___

Emerald eyes permeated Neville's mind as he teetered on the brink of sleep and consciousness. Eyes that were filled with lust and longing, and he desperately wished he could remember the rest of the dream as the last few moments of it replayed themselves back in his mind. Harry had been standing at the foot of their bed, his inky black locks pulled back into a messy bun, as though begging to be tugged on while Neville fucked him from behind, and a rosy flush was staining his lovely cheeks; a flush which Neville would have liked to see mirrored in handprints on Harry's tight round arse. 

Neville moaned at the image as it sprung to his mind and, reaching down, he palmed his rapidly hardening cock. He only managed to give it a few lazy strokes and had just run his thumb against the ring at its tip, when he heard a sudden inhalation of breath followed by the sounds of frantic rustling somewhere near his feet. Coming immediately to full consciousness, his eyes flew open and he shot up in bed, startled when he realised that he hadn't been dreaming at all. 

Standing towards the foot of the bed, only a step or two from the staircase that led down to the living room below, and fumbling to balance a rather large leather duffle upon his shoulder, was the man of Neville's dreams: Harry Potter. 

Harry stilled the moment that their eyes met, and both he and Neville froze, devouring the sight of one another.

A ruddy blush had blossomed across his tanned cheeks, and Harry wore an expression which perfectly matched the emotions that were currently coursing through Neville's own veins: a heady concoction of confusion and overwhelming lust. And as Neville's sleep-hooded eyes traveled longingly down Harry's body, both attempting to make sense of his sudden appearance as well as to devour the sight of him, his gaze halted as it landed on the unmistakable outline of Harry's hardened cock pressed tightly against the thigh of his fitted grey jeans.

The sight caused Neville's own cock to jerk in response, and he flushed upon realising that Harry had come across him completely nude and, furthermore, wanking at the mere thought of him. Cheeks flaming, he reached down and pulled the sheets, which he must've kicked off sometime during the night, back over his hips before looking towards Harry with a sheepish smile while floundering as he searched for something to say.

Harry returned Neville's smile with an equally embarrassed grin of his own and then, seemingly able to more easily collect his own thoughts, softly cleared his throat and murmured, "Hey, Neville. Fancy meeting you here."

Neville chuckled at the unexpected joke and was grateful to feel some of the tension ease from his shoulders, even if he could still feel his pulse as it pounded insistently through his shaft, and he scooted back until he was able to lean against the headboard of the bed.

"Indeed. Let me guess," he replied jovially. "Luna's sent you to keep me company over the holidays?"

And while he had certainly intended it to be a joke, and Harry's warm laughter was filling the space as though it was one, the reality of Neville's statement slammed into him like a freight train as the memory of what she had said to him on that snowy evening two weeks prior resurfaced in his mind. _You simply never know what types of wonderful surprises will be waiting for you up north._

Gazing more closely, Neville's eyes raked over the smiling man across from him. With his one dimpled cheek, flushed face, and the telltale bulge in his trousers, Neville wondered for the very first time if maybe, just maybe, Luna knew something about Harry that he didn't. Was it possible that it wasn't just he who had been longing for Harry all of these many years gone by, but also Harry who had longed for him? 


	4. A Gentleman's Agreement

Neville had long since finished brushing his teeth, but even so, his toothbrush hung precariously from his mouth as he remained standing in the shower completely unfazed by the hot stream of water still beating down over his head and shoulders. His mind was too preoccupied by the scene that had just taken place in the bedroom, and the subsequent questions which had arisen from it, for him to even realise that he should at least spit the remaining toothpaste out and the foam was slowly streaming down his chin onto his chest and stomach before finally dropping to the floor to be washed down the drain. 

_Why on earth is Harry here at the cabin_? he wondered.

_Did Luna and Rolf plan this together? Or was it just that cunning little blonde on her own?_

_Does the fact that they offered the cabin to both Harry and myself mean that she knows something about the way that Harry feels about me? In the same way that she knows how I feel about him?_

_What does Harry feel for me? If the flush that stained his cheeks and the hardened bulge in his jeans are any indication_ , he mused, _then our feelings must be quite similar indeed, at least in a couple of areas._

His cock ached at the memory of Harry's hardness, especially at the possibility that he'd been the one to cause it, and the toothbrush slipped from Neville's mouth and clattered to the floor of the tub as he recalled the flustered expression that Harry wore while attempting to not let his eyes wander too far down his body. 

Smiling, he spat the remainder of the paste from his mouth and rinsed it out before picking up the fallen toothbrush and setting it on the windowsill beside him. He then palmed his cock and began to stroke it while remembering the lust that had clouded Harry's gorgeous green eyes, basking in the knowledge that it had been he who had filled them with it. 

As Neville's hand skimmed up and down his rod, bringing him closer to climax with each stroke, he made himself a promise: _I'm not going to leave this cabin until I've found out, once and for all, whether or not Harry wants me as badly as I want him. And if he does? I'm going to make him mine._

___

Harry paced frantically back and forth in front of the range as he waited for the kettle to boil and, more importantly, for Neville to finish his shower and come down to join him so that they could finish discussing the predicament in which they currently found themselves. He looked back over at the pot of Floo powder that was sitting on the kitchen mantle and frowned with worry. While he'd never admit to such an act of panicked cowardice, the first thing he'd done after retreating back downstairs was to rush over to the fire and attempt to head back to Luna and Rolf's to find out what had happened. 

But Neville and his dilemma was exacerbated when, rather than turning the brilliant shade of green that he'd been expecting, the flames flickered and melded into the cheery faces of Luna and Rolf, explaining that they were away on holiday until Saturday the Fourth of January—only one day before Harry himself had planned his return trip home—and as such their Floo would be inaccessible by the network until then. 

Glancing nervously back towards the staircase from which he expected Neville would soon appear, Harry's mind wandered—quite without his permission, he might add—back to the moment when Neville had unexpectedly let out one of the sexiest moans that Harry had ever heard. He hadn't meant to glance back in Nev's direction—it had simply been a reaction of instinct—and had only lasted for a moment, but that moment was more than enough...

Suddenly struggling to breathe, Harry licked his lips and closed his eyes against the memory as the vision of Neville stroking his gorgeous cock filled his mind. Running a skilled thumb over his knob, which had caused the light to shift, revealing the slightest glint at the tip of its head. At the time that it had happened, Harry had panicked and instantly looked away, searching the floor for his bag and struggling to secure it on his shoulder. But now that he was alone and his mind seemed bent on replaying the moment on repeat, he puzzled over that glint.

_Precum_? Harry wondered, before the sudden, erotic truth of the matter hit him square in the chest. _A ring._

Neville Longbottom, prim and proper and buttoned-up as could be, not only had been hiding a glorious expanse of muscle and tattoos beneath his three-piece suits and elbow-patched cardigans, but he'd also pierced that perfect cock of his. A piercing which suddenly found itself at the centre of an unexpected fantasy that Harry found himself whimpering over as he thought of how it would feel pressed against his prostate before pushing deeper inside of him.

_No, no, no!_ his inner monologue chided at the images racing through his mind. Rushing over to the sink, he turned the faucet on full-blast, leaned down and splashed his face repeatedly with water as cold as mountain runoff. Finally nudging the sink off, he closed his eyes and remained bent over it, nearly panting with the effort of trying as best he could to calm his racing mind.

He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't even hear the kettle when it began to whistle, or when the high pitched trill had slowly faded upon Neville padding into the kitchen and turning off the burner beneath it. In fact, he didn't hear a thing until the soft clearing of a throat came from directly behind him, paired with a light squeeze to his shoulder, which nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. 

___

As Neville descended down the staircase from the bedroom above, he could hear the high-pitched wail of a kettle coming from the kitchen and concern spiked in his gut when the sound continued. Taking the last few steps two at a time, his brow furrowed as he turned the corner and spotted Harry hunched over the sink as if in pain. 

"Harry?" he called out, as he made his way over to the range and moved the kettle off the heat. "Is everything alright?" When he was given no response his concern spiked again and he rushed over to where Harry was still bowed down. Reaching out hesitantly, he cleared his throat and gently squeezed Harry's shoulder, careful not to press it too tightly lest he already be suffering some sort of injury. 

The moment his fingers connected, Harry jumped, immediately straightening and turning. His verdant eyes were wide and slightly wild as they came face-to-face. Looking him over for injury, Neville's initial concern gave way to an affectionate sort of amusement as he took in Harry's slightly rumpled, but seemingly intact, state. His hands and face were wet, as though he'd been splashing it in an attempt to calm down, and droplets of water still clung to his lush black lashes and the tip of his nose. 

Unable to keep the amused, yet adoring, smile from his face, Neville stepped closer to Harry and reached for the fluffy white tea towel beside his hip. He delighted in the blush that burst across Harry's cheeks at his nearness and did his best not to let the slight inhalation of breath that accompanied it go to his head. 

_All in due time_ , he thought. 

"Alright?" he murmured softly, and watched with barely contained joy as Harry's gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips at the question. 

Harry nodded but seemed unable to formulate a reply as Neville reached up and gently wiped the remaining moisture from his face. Seeming not to notice that he had begun to lean in closer, as though drawn to him by magnetic force, Harry's eyes fluttered shut and his lips parted when, with a feather-soft touch, Neville took special care to gently slick back and stroke the baby hairs at his temples. The expression that had settled across his face was one of such unadulterated bliss that it caused Neville's heart to lurch in his chest and his already budding hope began to flower. 

Overcome with the sudden urge to taste him, Neville had to forcibly stop himself from wrapping his arms about Harry's waist and leaning down to claim his mouth in a searing kiss. Instead, he roughly bit his inner cheek until the metallic tang of copper burst across his tongue, and slowly drew away. 

The time wasn't right. He wouldn't allow himself the indulgence of Harry's lips just yet—at least not until he was certain that's what Harry wanted. And so, with one final stroke to the tip of Harry's nose, Neville stepped back a few inches more and placed the cloth in Harry's hands so that he could dry them. 

As though he could feel his presence withdraw, Harry slowly blinked his evergreen eyes open and peered dreamily up into Neville's winter gaze. And so it was that the two men found themselves standing blanketed in the silence of the cabin and searching one another's faces for answers to questions that neither of them were yet ready to speak aloud. That is, until Harry suddenly seemed to remember himself and, flushing, he dropped his gaze down to his hands where, quite to his surprise, he found a hand towel that he couldn't recall picking up. Turning an even deeper shade of crimson, and much to the delight of Neville who still stood drinking in the sight of him, Harry let out a nervous chuckle. 

Slipping past the handsome blond, who he found more capable of discombobulating him than ever, Harry nodded even though he couldn't seem to remember what the question had been that Neville had posed to him. Struggling to come up with some way of distracting himself from the questions—and fantasies—that were currently clouding his mind, Harry made his way over towards the range, mentally kicking himself when he bumped into the corner of the kitchen table on his way. 

Behind him, a dashing smile came to rest upon Neville's lips as he watched Harry's increasingly flustered demeanour with ever-growing delight. 

Drawing closer to the stove, Harry called out to Neville over his shoulder in an overly chipper voice. "I put the kettle on to boil so we might enjoy a spot of tea. It should only be a moment or two more."

And while he may have missed Neville's smile as it transformed into a full-on grin, he could still hear the amused satisfaction in Nev's voice when he softly replied, "I know. I turned it off when I joined you in the kitchen... due to all the whistling and whatnot."

Sure enough, Harry could still see the stream as it rose from the kettle's spout, much to his own mortification. _Of course_ , he thought. _This day just gets better and better._ Further embarrassing himself in front of Neville had not been at the top of his list of things to do, but he powered through the discomfort before turning back around with a bashful smile and downcast eyes. 

"Right you are," he said, struggling against the urge to fidget. "Thank you. I've no clue how I missed it."

When he finally managed to fix his gaze back on Neville, Harry found his longtime crush leaning casually back against the kitchen sink. A cheeky smile rested upon his lush lips, which caused Harry to smile back at him in return. They stood like that, happily gazing back at one another, until Neville finally pushed off the counter and crossed over to the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair and then walked over and met Harry at the stove. 

Harry's pulse quickened in response as Neville wrapped one arm around his waist before softly pressing nimble fingers into the small of his back and nodding towards the vacant seat.

"You must have had to get up pretty early in order to catch Luna and Rolf before their flight," he said amiably, his voice velvety with affection. "Why don't you take a seat and relax? You can catch me up on how you've been while I fix us up a couple of cuppas. Sound good?"

Gazing affectionately back up at him, Harry nodded in agreement, already missing Neville's touch when he followed the instructions he'd been given and shyly walked over to sit down at the head of the table, completely unaware of the way that Neville's blood sang in response to him doing exactly as he'd been asked.

Twenty minutes later they sat side-by-side enjoying twin cups of Irish Breakfast laced with sugar and cream, accompanied by warm rowies that were fresh from the oven and slathered in butter and jam. Harry had finally managed to relax and now that he'd done so, he was animatedly recapping a row that he'd witnessed at the Leaky Cauldron only a few days prior. His eyes sparkled and danced as he wildly gestured about, setting the scene while also somehow managing to steal another piece of Neville's heart. 

It was rare for someone to find a career that so thoroughly fulfilled and suited them, especially so early in life, but from the moment that Harry had taken his Aurors' Vows, it had been obvious to anyone who knew him that he'd found his calling. Seeing such joy and passion plastered across his face made Neville feel temporarily wistful for his old job, but the feeling was fleeting and he knew deep within his heart that Harry had always been the best part of the job.

Law enforcement had never called to him in the same way that Herbology and teaching did, and every time he had the opportunity to watch wonder spark in the eyes of a student, he knew that he wouldn't trade his current position for all the riches in the world... aside from, perhaps, the treasure who sat across from him now. Although, with every longing glance he caught flashing in Harry's emerald eyes, he became steadily more convinced that there wasn't a single reason that he couldn't have both. Distracted by the newly budding hope of the possibility of a future with Harry, Neville flushed when he glanced up from his tea and found Harry with a relaxed smile playing at the corner of his lips and an expectant look upon his face. 

"I'm sorry, mate," he murmured with a flush and returned Harry's smile with a bashful one of his own. "Will you forgive me if I ask you to repeat that last bit? I must still be waking up and I'm embarrassed to admit that I missed it."

"Oh, of course," Harry replied and then paused, cheeks pinking deliciously when he finally continued. "I was just saying that you look great. Teaching really seems to suit you."

Unable to help himself, Neville grinned, almost preening beneath Harry's praise. 

"Thank you," he said, eyes softening as they drank Harry in. "You're looking quite well yourself."

The mutual compliments seemed to render them both speechless and it was a few moments before Harry finally pushed forward, attempting to dissipate the electricity that was crackling between them. 

"So, it appears that Luna and Rolf have offered the cabin to both of us, and forgotten that they did so." 

"That is indeed what appears to have happened," Neville replied. But he doubted very much the supposed absent-mindedness of the latter, especially when he caught Harry stealing yet another glance in his direction. 

Deciding to test the waters, he cleared his throat and amiably continued. "Whatever the circumstances of this surprise may be, I'm happy that it's afforded us the opportunity to catch up with each other."

Harry brightened and turned to face him fully, speaking softly as he said, "So am I."

Delighted by the promise of his response, Neville decided to push the boundaries a little further, hoping to find even more clarity when he cautiously said, "I do hope you weren't too disappointed when you arrived this morning and found me instead of the peace and quiet I'm sure you were expecting."

"Not at all!" The response from Harry was immediate and his eyes softened as he reached out and smoothed his slender fingers over Neville's bare forearm before continuing. "I wasn't disappointed at all. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact."

Hope exploded in Neville's chest at Harry's words and heat raced through his veins at the unexpected touch, causing him to shift in his seat at the sudden tightening of his trousers.

"Nevertheless," he murmured, mindful not to play his hand too quickly in case there was still a chance that he was wrong, "You must have been looking forward to this stay for quite a while, as Rolf only extended the offer to me about twelve days ago. While I would be delighted to steal a little more of your time, I also understand if you came here looking for some privacy. I can pack my things up and head back to Hogwarts if you'd prefer."

The way that Harry's eyes widened at this information only acted to increase his suspicion of Luna's matchmaking motives. This wouldn't have been the first time that she'd tried to urge Neville in the direction of someone she'd thought he would fancy. However, it was the first time he found himself hoping her scheming would work. The shaking of Harry's head pulled Neville away from his musings.

"No!" Harry nearly shouted before clearing his throat and confirming Neville's suspicions as he continued, "Luna actually only asked me to cabin-sit a couple of weeks ago, during our Sunday tea." The quizzical expression that settled across his brow as he puzzled over the mixup was so endearing that Neville's stomach did a small flip at the sight of it. Harry seemed to mull the revelation over a few moments before tentatively speaking up again.

"So, as you can see, you've just as much right to be here as me." His eyes softened with affection as they came back up to meet Neville's. "Anyways, I'd much prefer to spend the holidays with you than all on my own. That is, if you would like to spend them with me."

"I would like that very much," Neville replied, rejoicing in the smile that immediately burst forth on Harry's lips. "There's just one small hitch in that plan."

"Really?" Harry asked with innocent concern, until a spark of recognition seemed to light up his eyes. His voice trembled as he continued, "What’s that?"

"Well," Neville said with as straight a face as he could manage, given the circumstances. "This cabin only has one bed: the one you found me in this morning. I know that it's large, but... we would have to share it."

Harry began to flush as Neville spoke, biting into his full lower lip and swallowing hard as the last few words hung heavily between them. 

"I don't mind if you don't," he finally managed. 

"Not at all," Neville breathed, trying to gain control over his emotions as joy and lust lit him up like a firework on Bonfire Night.

"Good," Harry replied, looking just as elated and surprised as Neville felt. In fact, Neville was convinced that he could feel the blood as it pounded through his veins and into his cock when Harry's nervous babbling continued. "Besides, we shared a room for six years. It can't be very much different from that." 

But not even he looked to be convinced by his own logic. 

And even as Neville heard the "Definitely" leave his lips, he knew it to be a lie. First of all, there had always been three other boys to share their room with in the past. Second, they'd slept in separate beds. And lastly, when they'd lived together in the past Harry had never looked at Neville the way that he'd been looking at him since they'd discovered each other earlier that morning: with a look of pure, unadulterated longing. 

A longing which Neville could relate to entirely, and which he was now determined to end. 


	5. Late Night Secrets & Early Morning Confessions

After the initial awkwardness of their morning conversation had passed, the rest of Harry and Neville's day had been quite enjoyable. They'd spent a good deal of time catching each other up on the goings-on of their everyday lives and afterwards had whiled away the afternoon playing multiple rounds of wizard chess. Harry had even managed to win four out of the six games that they played, much to his delight and surprise—although he did suspect this was due to Neville allowing him to do so, as opposed to being out of practice as Nev had claimed. 

Afterwards, the two made their way back into the kitchen, where it was Harry's turn to show off his cooking prowess. Rummaging through the well-stocked refrigerator and pantry, he'd found all the necessary ingredients to make steak and ale pies, which he was tickled to find were still a favourite of Neville's. He had also found himself unable to keep the grin from spreading across his cheeks as he watched Nev go back for not just a second pie, but a third as well. 

It wasn't until after they had finished their meal, washed the dishes, and retreated back into the lounge, that Harry's nerves had set in once more. Sitting at opposite ends of the settee, sipping cocoa as they listened to Christmas carols on the radio, it felt as if Harry could physically feel every inch of space that separated their bodies—of which there were very few. Because of this, it had come as nearly a relief when Neville had stood up and announced that he, unfortunately, had some papers that needed grading. He had then taken his mug back into the kitchen and, upon returning, lingered at the foot of the stairs for a few moments, almost as if he'd had something to say, before quietly heading up them instead. 

However, Harry's frayed nerves had never seemed to relax, and instead, he found himself missing Neville's company. The electric silence that they had been amiably sharing, which had caused him to be so antsy in the first place, had turned quite hollow and cold now that he found himself alone. 

_Perhaps_ , he thought, _it wasn't awkwardness that settled between us at all but instead was a mutual longing._ He initially shook such hopeful thoughts from his head, but as he sat beside the crackling flames running through the events of the day in his mind, what at first seemed like wishful thinking began to slowly take root as a real possibility. Between what had felt to him like flirty glances and lingering touches, he couldn't help but ask, _Is it possible that Neville is just as interested in me, as I am in him?_

Reclining in front of the fireplace with his hands wrapped around the cup of chocolate that had long since gone from hot to cold, Harry seemed unable to stop himself as he nervously glanced over his shoulder to the bedroom loft above. 

_I suppose there is only one way to find out,_ he resolved. Swallowing down the rest of his drink, he then returned his mug to the kitchen, extinguished the fire with a flick of his wand, straightened his back and, acting with far more bravado than he actually felt, made his way up to bed himself. 

Upon reaching the top of the landing, his breath caught in his throat at the handsome sight of Neville sitting upright in bed. Bathed in the warm glow of both bedside lamps, he painted a lovely picture as his golden curls shimmered and shone and his gorgeous tattoos peeked out at Harry from beneath blue silk pyjamas which clung deliciously to the muscles that lay beneath them. Brushing the feathered tip of his quill back and forth across his full lower lip, he was leaning against the head of the bed, propped up by a number of pillows, with an array of parchment surrounding him as he read from a stack of it in his hand. Glancing briefly up, he gave Harry an affectionate smile before returning his attention back towards his current task. 

Flushing, Harry shook his head and attempted to free himself of the sudden urge he had to shove those papers aside, crawl into Neville's lap, and replace the feather of the quill with his own lips. When he found himself unable to clear the tempting image from his mind and it was obvious that some form of distraction would be needed to do so, Harry instead glanced around the room for where he'd placed his duffle. 

A soft warmth spread through his chest when, instead of locating it beside the bannister where he'd placed it earlier in the day, he found it resting next to a dresser that stood beside an open closet. Stepping in for a closer glance, it was immediately evident that a number of his shirts, sweaters, and jackets had been hung neatly beside each other in the wardrobe. And upon further inspection, he found the rest of his clothing folded neatly and tucked away in the chest of drawers.

"You've done this?" he asked tremulously, turning around to face Neville with a look of wonderment on his face. 

At the question, Nev glanced cautiously up from the piece of parchment that he looked to be grading, and Harry was met with a pair of stunning blue eyes. For the first time in what seemed to Harry like years, a deep flush burst across Neville's cheeks, and he nodded before clearing his throat. 

"I hope you don't mind," he said, sounding slightly unsure. "You just seemed a little tense downstairs and I wanted to help ease your stress. I'm sorry if I've overstepped my bounds."

Adoration exploded in Harry's chest and he found himself having to fight back tears. It seemed silly to get so worked up over such a simple gesture, but no matter how much time went by, it still blindsided him whenever someone took the time and actually made an effort to nurture him. It was a level of care that had been entirely foreign to him in his life prior to being reintroduced to the wizarding world. Such actions were often doubly perplexing to him when they were performed by someone he felt so strongly for himself. So it was only natural that he found himself having to swallow down the growing lump in his throat to clear it and shaking his head as he struggled to find his voice.

"I don't mind," he quietly managed to reply. Glancing down towards his feet, Harry had to once again regain his composure before he was able to continue, "You haven't overstepped at all. That was very kind of you. Thank you."

"You're welcome," came Neville's gentle response, and there was a sweetness in his voice that drew Harry's gaze back up as he said, "It was my pleasure."

As the two quietly watched one another, it felt to Harry as if their relationship was shifting on its axis and he found himself both excited and terrified at where it may settle in the end. Neville was one of his oldest and dearest friends, but Harry could no longer ignore the fact that he wanted the closeness which they had shared for so many years to develop into something deeper. A soft clearing of Neville's throat distracted Harry from the jumbled mess of his thoughts, and he flushed crimson upon the realisation that he had been so blatantly staring at Nev's glorious mouth.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, belatedly noticing that Neville had been speaking as he'd been devouring the sight of him. 

A rich chuckle rose from Nev's chest and he gave Harry a sizzling grin before amiably repeating, "I've put your toiletries beside mine in the bathroom."

"Oh, " Harry murmured shyly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Neville pleasantly replied. 

With that, Harry turned towards the dresser, pulled out a clean singlet and grey joggers, and retreated to the bathroom as quickly as his legs could take him. Closing the door firmly behind him, he quickly disrobed and, upon doing so, discovered that his raging erection from earlier in the day had reappeared with a vengeance. _Well,_ he thought anxiously, _I certainly can't walk back in there looking like this._ Reaching into the shower, he adjusted the temperature until it was just barely shy of scalding and hopped inside. 

Standing beneath the stream, he closed his eyes, palmed his cock, and finally allowing his imagination to run wild, slowly began to stroke it. As images of Neville in all his glorious nude perfection ran rampant through his mind, Harry bit into his lower lip in an attempt to quiet his moans, and he quickly found himself barreling towards climax. Picking up the pace with which he was stroking himself, Harry imagined that Nev was standing behind him, holding him steady by one hip as he lined up that gorgeous pierced knob to his entrance. Reaching back with his free hand, he slid his fingers down his cleft until they found his eager hole. Imagining Neville's piercing stroking back and forth across the ring of muscles there instead of his digits, he sucked in a shaky gasp and finally sank two inside. 

The pleasure was immediate and intense, causing him to whimper, and Harry tightened his grip around his cock as he began to stroke himself harder and faster, matching pace with the slick and steady pumping of his fingers. Less than two dozen strokes later and, with stars bursting across his vision, Harry came undone. As wave after wave of white-hot pleasure rolled through his body, he found himself leaning against the wall, struggling to stay standing as his knees threatened to buckle under the force of his satisfaction. Swaying beneath the warmth of the shower, Harry did his best to regain a sense of composure as his equilibrium slowly returned to normal.

Unable to remember the last time he'd had such an incredible orgasm, especially on his own, he basked in the happy afterglow of it, an afterglow which continued to stick with him long after he'd rinsed himself clean. Taking special care to wash his face and brush his teeth, he cheerfully got dressed in his pyjamas and was perfectly relaxed as he emerged from the bathroom. Humming softly to himself, he cast a quick drying spell on his hair and pulled his unruly black locks into a loose bun as he re-emerged into the bedroom beyond. 

But the sight which met him as he reached the foot of the bed caused Harry to still in his tracks and he found himself rooted to the spot, staring in wide-eyed wonder. Having already cleared the parchment off his side of the bed, Neville was standing beside his nightstand, stripped bare of his silk top and smoothing lotion into the inked portions of his skin. Watching each movement with greedy desire, Harry could feel the heat as it rose to his cheeks when Neville glanced up and gave him a playful smile. 

"You don't mind my losing the shirt, do you?" Nev asked as he swept a hand down, indicating his bare torso. "As you've already discovered, I usually sleep in the buff, due to my tendency towards overheating." 

"Not at all," Harry croaked. And while he did try to keep his eyes locked on Neville's, he once again found them wandering over the gorgeous vista created by hours of dedication and pain. 

"Thanks, mate," Neville murmured. The latter sounded more like he was speaking to a lover than a friend, which drew Harry's eyes back up to meet his where he found them filled with what looked to be longing. Pinning Harry with a hot stare, he continued, "I'd understand if you want to lose yours too."

Then, breaking some of the tension that was building between them, Neville moved his gaze to the bed and he pulled the linens aside. Crawling inside, he extinguished the light beside him, laid back and shut his eyes. 

For his part, Harry continued to stand awkwardly, chewing at his lip as he considered his options. Although Neville had no way of knowing it, the condition in which he normally slept was another thing they had in common. Harry hadn't slept in pyjamas since he'd left Hogwarts, preferring the coolness that nudity afforded him, as well as the feeling of crisp sheets against his bare skin. In fact, he'd really only brought the clothing he was wearing now to lounge around the cabin in. And while the idea of losing his shirt—and the overheating it was sure to cause—was a tempting prospect, it would also reveal Harry's own tattoos and potentially open him up to a litany of questions that he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to answer—especially the one that hugged the underside of his right pec. 

In the end, comfort—and, yes, a smidgen of desire—won out, and Harry quickly shrugged out of the singlet he'd donned only a few minutes before. Folding it and placing it atop a corner of the dresser, Harry then briefly ran his fingers across the flowing vine he was so nervous about having to explain. Quickly turning off his own lamp, he hopped into the bed beside Neville and settled into the sheets, taking special care to pull the bedding over his newly exposed skin. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Harry caught Nev's outline turning to face him, and a giddy joy filled him when the warm chords of Neville's voice wrapped themselves about him like an embrace. 

"Sweet dreams, Harry."

"Sweet dreams," came his quiet reply. And indeed, they were. 

___

The sky was just beginning to turn the deep cornflower blue of pre-dawn when Neville stirred to consciousness, pulled from his dreams by a warm breeze that was licking at his chest. Yet even in his sleep-addled state, it was only a matter of seconds before he realised the source of this breeze was Harry's breathing. At some point in the night, it seemed, Harry had crossed the divide of the huge king mattress that they shared and found his way to Neville. 

He was now sleeping curled up against Nev's side, with one leg straddling his left thigh, a hand splayed lightly atop his stomach, and his head resting gently upon Nev's shoulder—much to the overwhelming delight of the tall blond. Laying as still as he possibly could so as to not wake his bedmate and break the spell that sleep had cast upon them, Neville slowly tilted his chin and glanced down, admiring how gorgeous Harry was as he slept. He looked so much younger in sleep, similar to the boy Nev had known before Voldemort had crashed back into their lives and then stolen so many of the people whom they both held dear. Harry had already been plagued by so much pain and responsibility in his young life, and Neville was suddenly transported back to the bleachers following the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. He was desperate to gather Harry up in his arms, wanting to hold him tight and protect this incredible man from the rest of the world and the monsters that stalked it. But most importantly, he wanted to soothe Harry, to help lift the pain away from him, which even in happy moments, he often seemed to wear draped around him like a cloak. 

So without thinking, Nev found himself leaning in, as he'd longed to do for so many years, and pressing a gentle kiss to the jagged scar which rested above Harry's brow. Letting the caress linger for only a moment or two before, mindful not to make any sudden movements, he lowered himself back down onto the pillows. He laid that way for several minutes, staring at the wooden beams overhead, with one arm curled protectively around Harry's back, and allowed himself the small luxury of simply enjoying his longtime wish come to life.

Even as Harry began to stir, he found himself unable to loosen his hold upon him, and instead settled for closing his eyes and lying as still as possible. Pretending to sleep, he cautiously waited, wondering how Harry would react to the position which they currently found themselves in. 

Neville could feel the moment that he came to consciousness and swallowed down the bitter taste of disappointment as Harry slowly lifted himself up on one elbow and softly pulled his hand away from where it rested atop his stomach, steeling himself for the withdrawal of Harry's warm embrace. However, hope quickly replaced disappointment when that withdrawal never came and, instead, he felt Harry's fingers tentatively sweep across his brow then slowly trail down his temple and jaw. His body hummed at the contact. Although nothing could have prepared him for what came next, as Harry's thumb tenderly brushed over his chin and skated across his lips. 

"Absolutely perfect," he whispered softly. The words immediately imprinting themselves into Neville's memory. "I wish you knew how desperately I want to kiss you."

Every nerve ending in Neville's body lit up with yearning at the hushed admission, and he lay completely still, too stunned to move. 

Then Harry was cautiously lowering himself back onto the mattress and retreating to his own side of the bed. A few moments later, Harry's breathing had slowed once again to the familiar rhythm of sleep, and the opportunity for Neville to pull him back into his embrace had passed. However, Harry's actions and admission had given Nev all the confirmation that he needed, and as he drifted closer towards slumber himself, he vowed that come morning, Harry's wish would become their reality.

___

The soft white light of early morning pulled Harry from his dreams, and he lazily stretched as he came to consciousness. Blearily blinking his eyes open, he gave a little start upon realising that he'd once again gravitated over towards Neville's side of the bed. However this time, unlike the last, there were still a few inches that separated them, and he took a couple of moments to admire how handsome Nev was as he slept. Tall and lean, he lay on his back, sprawled across his side of the bed in such a way that his arm was extended across the mattress. It seemed as if it was meant to beckon Harry over so that he might once again curl against Nev's side, and Harry flushed at the memory of waking up doing just that. He felt slightly guilty for having done so, but as he hadn't intended to, he was quickly able to push said guilt away. Instead he smiled as he remembered the steady beating of Neville's heart beneath his ear and the softness of Neville's skin as it pressed against his. Allowing himself one final longing glance, he slid carefully from the bed and retreated to the bathroom. 

A few minutes later, he had relieved himself, washed his hands and face, and had just begun brushing his teeth when a sexily mussed Neville filled the doorway and leaned against its jam with a smile that caused Harry's stomach to do a small somersault. 

"Mind if I join you?" he asked in a voice still gravely with sleep. 

Mouth full of toothpaste, Harry was unable to reply and instead settled for shaking his head and pointing to Nev's toothbrush in a welcoming gesture.

Pushing off the door jam, Neville entered the bathroom and sidled up behind him. His heart skipped a beat when, pressing close to his back, Nev reached around Harry's side to grab his toothbrush and paste. 

"Thanks," he murmured softly against Harry's ear, causing goosebumps to burst across his skin in response. 

Closing the gap between their bodies further still, he briefly turned on the faucet and ran the bristles of his brush beneath it, before covering them with toothpaste. But even as he began to brush his teeth, Neville never withdrew. Instead, the warmth of his body radiated into Harry's and that, combined with the look in his eyes as their gazes connected in the mirror, caused a flush to blossom upon Harry's cheeks and his pulse to quicken. 

There was something deeply intimate about standing so close to one another as they performed their morning routine, and Harry found himself unable to look away. At some point, while their eyes had been devouring one another, Neville's electric brush had shut off. Yet, it still came as a surprise, and Harry had to stifle a moan when Nev splayed one large hand across the small of his back and leaned around him to spit the foam out of his mouth and into the sink. Rinsing his brush clean, he then placed it back in the cup where it had been resting and moved back to lean against the wall as Harry followed suit. 

"Sleep well?" Neville asked, as Harry turned around to face him. 

There was a flirtatious quality to his voice as he posed the question and it caused a siren to ring out from Harry's subconscious. Whether from desire or alarm, he didn't fully know—perhaps it was both. 

"Very."

Harry heard the breathy reply leave his lips before he'd even thought to speak it aloud, and his heartbeat hammered in his ears as Neville once again pushed off of the wall and came to stand directly before him. Towering above him as they stood toe-to-toe, Nev reached out with one hand and tilted Harry's chin up so that their eyes met before dropping his gaze to fall upon his lips. 

"You've missed a bit of toothpaste. Just here," he murmured, the deep nature of his voice immediately causing Harry's toes to curl. With his other hand, Neville reached up and brushed his thumb across the corner of Harry's mouth before bringing it up to his own and slowly sucking it clean. 

Desire raged through Harry's veins at the erotic sight, and he suddenly found it hard to breathe, having to suck in harsh gasps of air in order to fill his straining lungs. But it would seem that his delicious torture was not yet over, as Neville dipped his head, positioning his lips until they were poised barely a centimeter above his own. Whispering in a husky voice, he repeated Harry's own words from earlier in the morning back to him. "I wish you knew how desperately I want to kiss you."

Harry's pupils dilated and his eyes widened in surprise as he brought them up to meet Neville's.

"You do?" he murmured, voice trembling. 

"Very much so," came Nev's heady reply. Nodding for emphasis, he lowered his head further still, until their noses grazed together and his lips skated across Harry's in the promise of a caress. Finally, he asked, "May I?"


	6. A Taste Of The Unorthodox

Neville had to push down a rush of desire as he watched Harry's response to the question, steadying himself when Harry's gaze dropped down to his lips and his long black lashes fluttered against his cheeks, partially hooding his lovely fern-hued eyes. More tempting still was the way that he reached out and curled his fingers into the waistband of Neville's pyjama bottoms, pulling against them in an attempt to steady himself. 

"Yes," he breathed, spellbound, causing Nev's heart to soar in response. Reaching back behind Harry's head with one hand, Neville's fingers licked at the base of his skull until they found the elastic band that secured his hair into a messy bun and he skillfully tugged until he felt it release. Gently working the inky black waves free, he then sank his digits into their glossy depths and pulled dominantly against them, causing Harry's breath to catch and his head to tilt back, perfectly positioning his mouth so that it was offered up for the taking. Whimpering, Harry's voice was needy as he continued. "Please."

The plea hit Neville like a shot of firewhisky, intoxicating as it warmed him from the inside out. And, no longer able to continue the teasing game that he'd begun, he gently curled a second hand around the back of Harry's neck, holding him steady, and claimed his mouth with aching tenderness. The kiss was soft and slow, a scant brushing of lips that caused Harry to keen ardently and left them both lightheaded when Neville slowly pulled away. Looking down into the mossy depths of Harry's eyes, he found them raging with desire.

"Just the one kiss?" Nev murmured softly, tracing the curve of Harry's lips with his thumb as his own eyes sparkled, reflecting back his simmering need. "Or am I allowed another?"

Bewitched, Harry watched his mouth, clinging to every word as he spoke, and nodded his head with such earnestness it made Neville's chest ache with adoration. 

"Use your words, handsome," he whispered affectionately, brushing their noses together. "Let me hear you say it."

Bringing his gorgeous eyes back up to meet Neville's, Harry's cheeks grew an even deeper shade of rose and he longingly replied, "Take as many as you'd like. Just, please, don't stop."

"As you wish," Nev murmured with a delighted smile. Leaning in, he placed a kiss at each one of Harry's temples, then urged him to lift both arms until they curled around his shoulders. Dropping his own, Neville slid his hands down Harry's back until they dipped below his waist and gently squeezed his perfectly round arse. Cupping one cheek in each palm, he then swiftly lifted Harry up off the floor as though he weighed nothing at all. Harry let out a small gasp of surprise then quickly wrapped his legs around Neville's waist for purchase, just as he had been hoping for.

Spinning around, Nev pinned him to the wall, pressing their bodies flush as he brought his mouth crashing down upon Harry's in a searing kiss. This embrace was nothing like the first, and instead, he poured every ounce of love and longing that he'd stowed away over the last decade into the meeting of their lips, afraid that Harry would change his mind and this kiss would be their last. When Harry's lips parted on a sigh, Neville took advantage of their opening and plunged his tongue between their depths, drinking him in like a man dying of thirst. Long, deep strokes, which were soon matched by the thrusting of his hips, revealing the extent with which they both desired one another. 

"More!" Harry moaned, echoing his own thoughts perfectly, and curled his arms about Neville's neck. 

Per his heated request, Nev tightened his grip on Harry's arse and carried him out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, all the while feathering kisses along his neck and jaw. As they finally reached the bed, he tossed Harry down and quickly followed suit, crawling on top of him and settling once more between his thighs.

Pinning Harry to the mattress beneath him, Neville leaned in and reclaimed his mouth, licking softly at the seam of his lips until they parted. Once they had, he expertly slid his tongue between them and rolled its velvet heat along Harry's own. The sensations created by this erotic act pulled a desperate moan from Harry's lips, which in turn caused Neville to instinctively buck his hips in response, resulting in a delightful friction as their pricks glanced off of each other.

Breaking the kiss, Harry let out a husky moan and pressed their foreheads together. Then, sliding his hands down, he pulled against Nev's arse and lifted his hips to slowly grind their cocks back and forth against one another. 

"Fuuuck!" Neville groaned between gasps, balling the sheets to either side of Harry's head into fists. Leaning down, he spread feverish kisses across Harry's neck and shoulder, barely able to hold himself up as the wonderful assault continued. However, the sudden tightening in his bollocks caused his body to go rigid, and Nev's voice came out strained as he murmured, "Merlin be cursed... you're going to be the death of me."

Harry stilled immediately upon hearing the admission and opened his eyes, tilting his face to look at Neville's with concern. "I'm sorry," he whispered, cheeks paling with embarrassment at his own boldness. "I didn't mean to push things too far or make you uncomfortable."

"Don't be sorry, darling," Neville replied. He pressed a soothing kiss to Harry's lips as he continued, "You haven't pushed things too far. It's just that... you're barely touching me and I'm already having to fight back against the impulse to come."

"Oh," Harry breathed, eyes wide and filled with desire. 

"Mhmm. I just need to pace myself is all. It's been a while," Nev murmured, then smiled before leaning in to claim his mouth once more. After a few minutes of lazy kisses, he finally pulled away and looked down at Harry with a playful glint in his eyes. 

"You should know that you could never make me uncomfortable," he murmured heatedly. "After all, the single most reoccurring thought that's been occupying my mind since you stumbled in on me yesterday morning is how badly I want you. To kiss you. To hold you. To touch you. To taste you. To fuck you. In every room of this cabin and on every surface."

Looking boldly back up into his eyes, Harry rutted against his prick once more and brazenly asked, "Can we start with this bed?"

Lust coursed through Neville's veins at the contact, as well as the question, spurring a light chuckle to spring forth from his lips.

"I think that can be arranged," he purred. Leaning down, he briefly bit into Harry's earlobe, smiling at the way he squirmed against the contact, before releasing it with a tug. Then, raising himself up onto his hands, Neville broke the seal that their bodies had created and hotly commanded, "Lift up your hips." 

Without hesitation, Harry did as he was told and shifted, earning himself a hum of appreciation from Nev, whose eyes were travelling down his body and leaving goosebumps in their wake. 

"Good boy," he murmured approvingly, and Harry flushed beneath the praise. Softly tracing a fingertip around the outline of one of his nipples, Neville waited until Harry was trembling beneath his touch to move out from between his thighs. Sprawling on the bed beside him, he lightly ran his fingertips across Harry's chest and down to the sculpted expanse of his stomach before finally dipping them beneath his waistband and tugging against it as he continued, "Now, I want you to slowly peel these joggers off and lay back down. Can you do that for me, baby?"

Harry shivered at the velvet-cloaked authority in Neville's tone, clinging to his every word, and nodded eagerly in response. Slowly reaching down, he curled his fingers around the soft grey fabric which clung to his hips and pushed, gradually sliding it down. Pausing briefly as his hardened cock sprang free, Harry couldn't help but return his eyes to Nev's, and a flush crept over his cheeks at the untamed yearning he found raging within their stormy depths. Then, with his heart hammering away in his chest, he leaned up and lightly brushed his lips across Neville's as he pulled his legs up towards his chest. Slipping his calves and feet out of the jersey, he finally managed to kick them free and shed the confines of his trousers just as he'd been asked to do. 

When their lips parted, Neville's eyes dipped back down and he devoured the sight of Harry. While he'd always known him to be handsome, the scant peeks of skin that he'd caught in the past paled in comparison to the man lying before him now. His inky waves were spread out, fanning around his head like a halo, which only served in making him look like an angel who'd fallen from the heavens above and landed directly into his lap. The buttery caramel of his skin was a perfect contrast to the emerald of his eyes and created a stunning canvas for the fine layer of ebony hair which covered his sculpted stomach, chest, and limbs. It also just so happened to sit in a nicely trimmed mound above Harry's deliciously thick cock. A cock which Nev was steadily becoming more and more eager to wrap his lips around. 

"Merlin, you're gorgeous," Neville uttered with hushed reverie. The shyness of the smile that Harry gave him in response was so delectably unexpected that he returned it with a grin of his own before leaning in and pressing their lips together once more. Drawing the kiss out, he took his time as he stroked Harry's hair and ran his tongue suggestively along his soft lower lip, perfectly content to spend all day in bed if it meant that they'd have the opportunity to slowly acquaint themselves with each other's bodies. However, the man beneath him appeared to be far less patient and stoked Neville's desire as he reached down to teasingly stroke his newly revealed prick. 

Nev smiled against his lips, and had just parted his own to playfully tut at Harry's greediness, when his eyes swept across Harry's chest and, getting a better look at it now that they were so close, the words died on his lips. Etched into his skin in a vivid array of greens and teals were long, graceful tendrils which Neville would have recognised anywhere. They began just shy of his underarm and flowed smoothly along the underside of his right pec, perfectly cupping it as if meant to cradle his heart beneath. 

"Gillyweed?" Neville asked softly, a tremor in his voice as the tips of his fingers reached down and traced along the plant's surface. Harry stilled at the question, drawing Neville's focus back up to his face which was etched with a coy sort of uncertainty as he nodded in confirmation. Yet all traces of worry dissipated when Nev smiled and whispered, "It's beautiful. Just like you."

Relief surged through Harry's chest and he practically glowed beneath the praise. In fact, he was so distracted by his delight that it came as quite a shock when Neville dipped his head and began to spread kisses across the painted stretch of skin. It wasn't long before his lips found their way from ink to nipple and he relished the way that Harry gasped as they wrapped around the dusky little nub, enveloping it in erotic heat. He took his time, alternating between rolling his tongue back and forth over the hardening tip and grazing it with his teeth, smiling against the tender flesh each time Harry whimpered or groaned. Finally, when it seemed as if the tension that was building up in Harry was on the precipice of snapping like a rubber band, Neville let up, sucking against his nipple one last time before releasing it with a pop. 

A drawn-out moan escaped from Harry's lips and Nev smiled at the sound of it, grinning when his head dropped back onto the coverlet and he closed his eyes, looking deliciously sated as he did so. However, having finally gotten a taste, Neville found that his need for Harry was stronger now than ever before and he leaned down to roughly reclaim his mouth. The kiss was so heated he wasn't even aware that he'd slid back between Harry's thighs until he felt the press of them around his waist. 

And so it was with great effort that he finally managed to pull himself away, resting his forehead lightly against Harry's as he anxiously whispered, "I need you to do something for me, baby."

"Anything," Harry murmured, eyes hooded and blown out with yearning as his hands returned to Nev's arse and he bucked his hips, causing their pricks to rut against each other once more. 

The sensation was enough to momentarily derail Neville's train of thought and he gripped onto Harry's hips, stilling them so that he could concentrate on regaining his faculties. Pressing a chaste kiss against Harry's lips so that he wouldn't worry about having done something wrong, Nev softy rubbed their noses together and cleared his throat.

"I have... dominant tendencies," he murmured, faltering when Harry's eyes widened and filled with need. Taking a steadying breath, he closed his own eyes so that he'd better be able to focus and quietly soldiered on. "Because of that, I sometimes get carried away and become more rough during sex than I intend to be. Normally I'm very good about reining myself in, but I have wanted you for so long that I'm afraid I'm going to get lost in the moment and wind up hurting you. Not because I want to hurt you—I don't! More so because I'm worried that I'll push you too far, too quickly. So, I need you to promise that you will tell me if you start to become uncomfortable or if you want me to stop. Okay? Can you do that for me, baby?"

Finally opening his eyes, Neville looked down into Harry's, afraid of what he'd find in them. But rather than the fear or hesitation that he'd been concerned about, he instead found them brimming with desire. A smile played at the corners of Harry's lips as he curiously asked, "When you say you become rough and you think you'll push me too far, are you talking about the things you want to do to me, or are you talking about the size of your cock?"

Neville's blood heated at the forwardness of Harry's question and he had to clear his throat before he finally managed to reply, "I suppose it's a little bit of the former, although I'd never do anything unorthodox without talking to you and testing the waters first. Mostly, however, I was talking about my Prince Albert. Most of my partners have enjoyed the sensation it adds, but I can take my piercing out if it becomes too uncomfortable for you. Unfortunately... there's not much I can do about my size." Flushing crimson as he finished his explanation, Nev cleared his throat before asking once more, "So, will you promise to let me know if you need me to stop?"

"I promise," Harry said with a nod. He allowed Nev only a moment or two of relief before cheekily smiling as he brazenly continued, "However, there is something you probably need to know about me before we continue."

"What's that?" Neville asked, unable to hide the curiosity as it tugged at his brow. 

Leaning in, Harry kissed along the shell of his ear, before grinning as he huskily murmured into it, "I like unorthodox... and I **love** having my boundaries pushed."


	7. Pushing Boundaries

The confession stripped the last of Neville's restraint bare and, unable to hold himself back any longer, he slid one arm beneath Harry's arse and palmed it as he wrapped the other about his waist, pinning their bodies together. Then, in one swift movement, he rolled over and reversed their positions, humming appreciatively at the sight of Harry completely nude and straddling his hips. 

"You're so fucking sexy," he said, voice strained with desire. Then, desperate to feel more contact, he flexed his hips and reached down. Taking Harry's prick into his hand, Neville smoothed his thumb over its aching knob and slowly began to stroke. A startled look creased Harry's brow and a moan escaped his lips as he instinctively began to roll his hips, grinding and rutting his arse against the bulge tenting Nev's silk pyjama bottoms. 

"That's it, baby," Neville ground out, watching through hooded lids as he picked up the pace, continuing his pleasurable ministrations. Finally, when the precum that had formed at the tip of Harry's cock had begun to stream down and pool upon Neville's abs, he smacked Harry's arse and silkily murmured, "Help me out of these trousers. I want to see those rosy lips wrapped around my cock." 

As if the only thing he'd been waiting for was permission, Harry quickly jumped into action. Dismounting from Neville's lap, he crawled down to the foot of the bed and pulled the satiny fabric off of Nev's body in one swift movement before throwing it onto the floor. Lying down between his legs, butterflies tumbled through Harry's stomach at the realisation that he wasn't simply being allowed to look at Neville's cock, but rather was being actively encouraged to—and glancing up coyly, he did just that, a flush staining his cheeks at the sight that met him.

At some point while Harry had been stripping off his pyjamas, Nev had raised himself up on one elbow and was watching him with unchecked desire as his massive prick lay resting against one muscular thigh. Long and thick, it was uncut and far larger than any other cock that Harry had seen—save for possibly in an adult film or two—and the mere thought of such a huge rod pressing against his prostate caused Harry to thrust against the coverlet and moan. 

Glancing back up to look at Neville, he flushed when their eyes met and relaxed a little as the handsome blond smiled and gave him an encouraging nod. Reaching out slowly, Harry gasped as his fingers finally wrapped around Nev's silken length and, feeling more emboldened by the contact, he drew them up and down. Groaning at his touch, Neville thrust his hips forward, causing the foreskin to draw back past the head of his cock and fully expose the silver ring threaded through its tip. 

"See something you like?" he asked thickly, and Harry nodded in response, flushing at the raw need that seemed to be radiating off Neville in waves, which in turn was causing his own to surge in response. No longer content with just gliding his fingers back and forth over Nev's shaft, Harry leaned in and began kissing a heated trail up Neville's thigh towards his groin. Pausing once he'd reached his prick, Harry looked up and held Nev's gaze as he slowly slid his tongue up the underside of his length.

"Fuck yes!" Neville groaned and reached out. Sinking his fingers into Harry's hair, he held his head in place and thrust his cock deeper into the wet heat of his mouth. Harry gagged as his knob began to press against the back of his throat and, concerned by this, Nev relented and loosened his hold to allow him to come back up for air. The look of pure lust in Harry's gorgeous green eyes as they rose to meet his was quite nearly Nev's undoing. Even more challenging was the way that he had to struggle at regaining his composure as Harry slowly lifted his head and released his prick, a thread of moisture trailing from his opened lips to the ring at its tip. However, even as desire raged through Neville's body, his main concern was for the comfort and safety of the man resting between his thighs, and he reached down and softly stroked Harry's hair.

"I'm sorry, baby," he said in a gentle tone, and his voice was touched by worry as he asked, "Was I too rough?"

"No," Harry breathed, his cheeks pink as he leaned forward and wrapped his lips around the head of Neville's cock, swirling his tongue around its piercing for a moment before releasing it once more. "I've just never felt anything like this ring before and the unexpected sensation caused me to choke."

"Oh," Neville breathed, too stunned to say anything else. 

"Can I try again?" Harry asked, and even as he posed the question, he dipped his head and ran his lips up and down Nev's shaft.

Moaning, Neville nodded and pulled Harry's hair back, securing it into a bun with his fist, before clearing his throat and asking, "Would it help if I told you what to do?"

"Yes," Harry breathed. And even though the way that he was already working Nev's rod seemed to contradict his answer, Neville cleared his throat and willingly obliged. 

"First, you need to relax your jaw," he murmured, guiding his cock back into Harry's mouth until it was just barely pressed against his throat. He could feel the moment that Harry did as he'd been told and moaned as his prick pressed past Harry's uvula and deeper down into the back of his throat. "Good boy..." he praised, rendered breathless by the muffled whimper he both heard and felt in reply. After taking a moment to compose himself, he tightened his grip on Harry's hair and slowly guided his head up and down, careful as he finally began to work his throat. Feeling more than hearing the small gasp of distress as it tightened around his cock, Neville paused and looked down to find an alarmed tightness at the corner of Harry's eyes. 

"Don't panic, baby," he murmured in a soothing voice. "Just remember to breathe through your nose—in as my cock withdraws, and out as I push it back in."

After a few moments, he was able to watch as Harry's tension melted away, replaced by a heavy-lidded look of bliss as he reached down and, lifting his own hips, began to stroke his cock to the same pace of the one in his throat. 

"That's it, baby," Nev breathed, then moaned as he said, "Good job."

Pleasure coiled and settled in the pit of his stomach and, as it did, his measured control began to slip. No longer content with simply guiding Harry's mouth up and down, Neville suddenly found himself thrusting in and out of it as well, picking up the pace as he roughly fucked the tight confines of Harry's throat. 

"Oh my fucking God, Harry," Nev groaned as he thrashed against the sheets, gritting his teeth as he continued, "Fuuuck, that feels so fucking good!" 

Glancing down, he found that his mind was so fogged by pleasure that he was no longer able to tell if the expression on Harry's face was one of desire or strain and he loosened his grip. Letting go of his fistful of hair, Nev instead lightly stroked Harry's cheek.

"Tap my thigh once if you're okay and twice if you need me to stop. Alright, baby?" he murmured heatedly, watching closely for Harry's response.

After a moment or two, Harry forced his head further down and rutted his prick against the sheets as he choked around Neville's cock, causing a dizzying tightening of his throat as he followed Nev's instructions and lightly tapped once against his thigh. 

Relief surged through Neville's chest and he collapsed back onto the bed, closing his eyes. As he lay there enjoying the pleasure that Harry seemed so determined to give, Nev was hit by the realisation that he couldn't think of a single time in his life that he had ever felt as good as he did in that moment, and he was suddenly overtaken by the overwhelming need to give the same pleasure to the incubus resting between his thighs.

Tapping twice against his shoulder, Neville grinned at how quickly Harry had taken to the non-verbal cues as he replaced his mouth with his palm and looked up with a quizzical tilt of the brow.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked nervously, and flushed at the rapturous grin received in reply. 

"Not at all," Nev said with a shake of the head as he sat up. Leaning forward, he hooked a finger beneath Harry's chin and guided him forward until their lips collided in a hungry kiss. Then, when he'd finally finished stealing Harry's breath away, he leaned back and fixed him with a molten stare. 

"On your hands and knees, love," he murmured. He brushed a thumb across Harry's kiss-swollen lips as he heatedly continued, "It's my turn to taste you."

A shiver ran down Harry's spine at the command and he leaned up to greedily collect another kiss before he drew himself up onto his knees and, giving Nev one final molten stare, turned around. As he came to face the glittering wonderland outside, the only thing on his mind was the man currently repositioning behind him and, unable to best his curiosity, Harry snuck a glance back over his shoulder. 

A warming rush of endorphins shot through his veins and he flushed as he caught sight of Nev, kneeling back on his haunches with his legs spread wide, perfectly showcasing his incredible cock—a cock which he was slowly stroking as he bit into his full lower lip and admired Harry's arse and newly exposed hole. Rising up, his length briefly rubbed against Harry's thigh as he leaned over and pressed down between the centre of his shoulder blades, urging Harry to bend forward, arms splayed above his head with his chest and one cheek pressed to the bed, as his arse remained poised in the air. 

"Perfect," Neville uttered, and he spoke the word so softly that Harry wasn't sure if the compliment had even been intended to reach his ears. Then, rather suddenly, he spanked both globes of Harry's arse, one after the other, causing him to cry out in anguished delight, before gingerly smoothing his palms over the freshly pink skin in a soothing caress. 

"You like that, baby?" he murmured, and there was a threatening quality to his already sexy voice that caused Harry's toes to curl and his head to nod frantically in the affirmative. Smiling, Nev bent down and kissed his hip, practically purring as he asked, "Do you want more?"

"Yes," Harry gasped as he shuddered and balled the linens up in his fists.

"Yes, what?" Neville spoke softly and the steel of his voice caused Harry's blood to sing as he realised exactly what it was that Nev was asking for. 

Taking a steadying breath, he practically vibrated with need as he rocked his hips back and boldly answered, "Yes, sir."

"Mmm. You're such a good boy," Nev said appreciatively, and the next time his palm connected with Harry's flesh, the impact was much harsher than the first, stirring Harry to bite into the linens and moan. He spanked Harry roughly and repeatedly, tenderly stroking his skin between each strike, until both of his cheeks glowed a rosy shade of red and were warm to the touch. Then, spotting the wet spot which was forming on the coverlet directly beneath his cock, Neville bent forward, parted Harry's tender cheeks, and swept the flat of his tongue over his little pink star. 

"Fuck me!" Harry cried out and gasped.

"Patience," Neville murmured with a chuckle, before leaning back in. Wrapping one hand around Harry's cock, he brought the other up and slowly began massaging two fingers against Harry's eager hole, all the while flicking his tongue back and forth along the underside of his bollocks. When Harry was so worked up that he had finally begun to tremble and writhe against the bed, Neville relented and slid two fingers deep inside him, curling them against his prostate again and again. 

"Please, Nev!" Harry cried out in ecstasy, stoking Neville's own desire. "I'm so fucking close!"

The exclamation was so sexy that Nev discovered his own prick had begun to leak and he found himself having to fight off the urge to sink it roughly into Harry's warm body. Leaning forward, he spread a trail of kisses up Harry's spine and shoulder before lightly brushing his lips across Harry's neck.

"How would you rather come?" he murmured hotly. "On my fingers or my cock?"

"On your cock," Harry answered immediately. Whimpering and trembling, he pressed his hips back and continued, "Definitely on your cock."

Wrapping one arm around Harry's chest and shoulders, Nev straightened until they were both sitting upright before slowly withdrawing his fingers. Then, sliding both hands onto Harry's hips, he ground his cock against Harry's arse. 

"Mmm... good answer," he murmured hotly, lips brushing against Harry's shoulder, before he sobered and his voice took on an imposing tone. "In that case, I am going to sit back against the headboard, and, once I've done so, you are going to turn around and climb up onto my lap. Understood?" he instructed in a rich and commanding tone. 

Harry nodded enthusiastically and turned his head, watching over his shoulder in rapt fascination as Nev slid up the bed and fluffed a couple of pillows which he then leaned back against and, giving him a look that caused Harry's prick to ache, patted his thigh. Determined not to waste a single second, Harry scrambled around, crawling up the bed after him, and did exactly as he'd been instructed: straddling Neville's hips as he settled atop his lap.

"Good job, baby," Neville hummed and Harry warmed beneath his admiration. 

Reaching out, he curled a hand around the back of Harry's neck and pulled him in until their lips were brushing together in a slow and intimate dance. The contact caused Harry to moan and wrap his arms around Neville's neck before tightening his legs around his hips. Harry then began to rock his own hips back and forth as their kiss deepened, whimpering as their cocks connected and slid back and forth against each other. 

He had become so distracted by the sensation of their bodies colliding, that it didn't initially register when Neville reached over to the nightstand, picked up his wand, and pressed the tip of it against his hole. In fact, it wasn't until Nev was whispering the incantation against his lips and a warm rush of liquid coated the ring of muscles at his centre that it even began to sink into Harry's mind what was happening. However, the moment he felt fingers slide between his cleft and begin to work the lube into his body, realisation hit and Harry let out a satisfied moan. 

"That's it, love," Neville murmured, kissing Harry's shoulder as he continued slowly sliding his fingers in and out. "Open yourself up for me."

Unable to formulate any coherent response, Harry simply nodded and closed his eyes. He became lost in the sensation and, after a beat, he tangled his fingers into Neville's unruly curls, tugging on them for purchase as he slowly began to bounce up and down. As his body began to relax, Nev curled his free hand around both of their cocks and slowly began to pump them together, causing Harry to gasp and pick up the pace.

"Yes, baby... Just like that," Neville panted and groaned. Then, after a few more moments of delicious teasing, he leaned forward and kissed Harry roughly, nodding towards the nightstand when their lips finally parted. "If you open that drawer and reach inside, you should find a box of..." But his words cut off suddenly, and he momentarily froze, before dropping his head to Harry's shoulder with an anguished groan.

"What? What's the matter?" Harry asked, panicked by this sudden change in demeanour. Relaxing his grip on Nev's hair, he stroked it soothingly and kissed his temple before worriedly asking, "Baby, what's wrong?"

"I didn't know you'd be here," Nev keened in a tortured voice before bringing his beautiful blue eyes up to meet Harry's and softly saying, "All of my condoms are at home."

"Oh..." Harry murmured, melting a little at the pitiful look etched into Neville's handsome face. HIV and AIDS were still new enough to the Wizarding community that no particular spell had yet been created to fight them, and condoms had gradually found their way into the younger generations' bedrooms. Especially in the case of queer men. Quieting for a moment, Harry considered their conundrum, and then softly murmured, "I don't have any STIs. I received a clean bill of health at my last physical six months ago, and I haven't been with anyone in over a year... How about you?"

Nev looked slightly confused, but shook his head and murmured, "I came up clean just before the fall term began. In fact, it's been roughly the same length of time for me."

Even after the confession, he continued to look at Harry as though he was perplexed, and so Harry cleared his throat before nervously stammering, "Well... i-if you're clean and I'm clean... then there's really nothing to stop us from... being together."

Neville's look of confusion melted away, replaced instead by one of stunned wonder, and his voice was thick with emotion as he softly asked, "You'd let me inside of you without a condom?"

Flushing crimson at the way Neville had said the word "inside", Harry nodded and softly stroked the hair at the base of his skull.

"Yes," he breathed and then shyly smiled as he continued, "I mean, I've never had sex without one before, but, with you? Of course, I would."

"Why?" Neville asked, and Harry could tell by the vulnerable look in his eyes that whatever was going to happen between them next hinged on his reply. So, deciding there was no point in starting their relationship off with a lie, he threw caution to the wind and gently ran his fingers through Neville's hair as he sweetly replied. "Because, I never want there to be any barriers between us again."

His answer unleashed a torrent of emotions within Neville, and suddenly Harry found himself being wrapped up in Nev's arms, their mouths colliding as he was quickly spun around and pushed onto his back. Settling between his thighs, Neville took one last slow pull from his lips before inching away and gazing longingly into Harry's eyes.

"Neither do I." he tenderly murmured. Cupping Harry's cheek with one hand, Nev reached down and repositioned his cock with the other, slowly dragging his piercing up and down against Harry's slick entrance as he softly murmured, "You're sure?"

Harry immediately nodded and moaned, gripping onto Neville's firm arse and grinding against his cock as he desperately begged, "Yes. Please!"

"As you wish," Nev murmured. The way he said those three little words reminded Harry of another strapping blond and a rush of desire coursed through his veins as he pictured Nev in all black, declaring his love. 

However, all coherent thought was quickly swept away as Neville gently rocked his hips forward and his knob, as well as the piercing at its tip, pressed past the ring of muscles at Harry's centre and into his body. The sudden feeling of fullness stole Harry's breath away and he froze, looking up at Nev with wide, panicked eyes. 

"Do we need to stop?" Nev asked, voice strained as he stilled and looked down at Harry with a conflicting combination of pleasure and worry. 

"No," Harry wheezed, and then gasped as he continued, "You're just so big."

Nodding his understanding, Neville coloured prettily and tenderly stroked Harry's hair.

"I need you to breathe for me, baby," he murmured thickly as he gently pulled back his hips. Resting his forehead against Harry's, he softly brushed a kiss across his lips and quietly continued, "It'll help you relax and you'll find it easier to take me. Can you do that for me?"

Harry whimpered and nodded, then closed his eyes and slowly dragged in a deep lungful of air. 

"That's it," Nev murmured encouragingly. "Deep breaths in, hold them for a few seconds, and then deep breaths out." 

Focusing on the soothing sound of Neville's voice, Harry closed his eyes and did exactly as he was told. Deep breath in. Hold. Deep breath out. Deep breath in. Hold. Deep breath out. And as he did so, he found that his body was indeed gradually uncoiling. When it finally felt as if he might sink through the mattress and onto the floor below, he slowly blinked his eyes open and brought them back up to meet Neville's. 

"Alright?" Nev asked sweetly, continuing to stroke his hair. 

Harry smiled timidly in response and readied his nerves, then nodded and softly replied, "Alright."

At that, Neville thrust forward once more, slowly pressing deeper the second time than he had the first. Harry's initial discomfort suddenly gave way and transformed, blossoming into pleasure that rippled through his body and caused him to moan as Nev's piercing stroked deliciously against his prostate. 

"More," Harry whimpered and gasped, looking down between their bodies as Neville rolled his hips, slowly sliding in and out of his body with measured care. With each stroke, Harry's pleasure grew, and it wasn't long until he reached out and clung to Nev's arse, urging him to press deeper as he huskily cried, "I want to feel all of you."

"Fuck, baby," Neville groaned. Winding his hips, he leaned down to roughly claim Harry's lips. As their mouths collided, he settled one hand onto Harry's hip and reached out with the other, using the headboard for leverage as he gradually began to pick up speed and deepen his strokes. With each press of his hips, Harry cried out in ecstasy against his lips, tightening around his cock, and causing Nev's own satisfaction to grow. Drawn closer to climax with every dizzying thrust, their bodies melded together and the cabin was quickly filled with a symphony of moans and sighs. 

As Nev's piercing rolled more insistently back and forth against his prostate, Harry's heart began to race, pumping his veins full of what felt like liquid sunshine as a rush of heat spread throughout his limbs. Arching his back up off the bed, he cried out as Neville grabbed onto his hips and held him still as he drove his cock repeatedly in and out in a relief-seeking frenzy. Pleasure suddenly peaking, Harry was gripped by an intense wave of euphoria unlike anything he had ever felt before and, disoriented by ecstasy, he held tight to Nev and came. 

"That's it, baby," Neville murmured softly, gingerly lowering Harry back into the bed as his body trembled and shook. Slowing the pace of his thrusts, Nev continued tenderly making love to Harry, guiding him through the aftershocks of ecstasy and leaning in to spread delicate kisses across his lips and jaw. As their bodies rocked against each other, pleasure once again began to lap at Harry's senses and he let out a contented sigh. 

"Don't stop," he quietly groaned, pulling against Neville's curls and squeezing tight around his prick as he restlessly murmured, "It's your turn. Let me feel you come."

A ruddy flush burst across Neville's cheeks and he dropped his eyes to where he was buried inside of Harry, sliding in and out of him a few times before raising his gaze up with a satisfied smile, "Alright, handsome. But first, I want to watch you ride my cock. Hold tight."

As soon as Harry's arms had slid around his shoulders, Nev pivoted and rolled over, smiling at the slightly wild look that danced in his mossy eyes as he settled atop his lap. Then, leaning in, he stole another kiss before sitting back against the pillows and massaging Harry's thighs. The contact stoked Harry's desire and, as if he was unable to wait a single moment longer, he reached down and palmed his bollocks, drawing them up so that Nev would have a better view as he eagerly began pumping his hips. 

Harry's action had the desired effect, and he couldn't help but wink as Neville's lips parted and for the first time since carrying Harry into the bedroom, he was rendered completely and utterly speechless. With each stroke, Nev lost a little more control, grasping at Harry's hips and pistoning his own roughly up, desperate for release. 

The frenzied pace which they had set, paired with the incredible sensation of Neville's piercing rubbing his prostate, soon caused Harry's prick to harden, rubbing back and forth across the sculpted set of abdominal muscles between his thighs. Better yet was the feeling of tightness that squeezed around his shaft as Nev reached out and took it in his hand, causing Harry to groan when he began to stroke it in time with each thrust. It wasn't long before the mirrored stroking of his prostate and cock overwhelmed Harry, and he cried out, shaking with pleasure as his arse tightened and come shot out of his rod, flowing down Nev's fist and settling in a warm pool on his stomach. 

"Merlin, Harry," Nev murmured as his eyes slowly travelled over every inch of the raven-haired god who sat panting astride his lap. "I don't think I've ever seen anything as beautiful as you when you're coming undone."

Harry pinked beneath his worship then gasped as Neville withdrew from inside of him. He then watched, hypnotised, as Nev ran his fingers over his abdomen and scooped up the come that had spilled there. Easing Harry up with his free hand, Nev then reached between his thighs and spread it along his centre like lube, before thrusting back inside. They both moaned in unison, as Neville reached out and held Harry's hips still, roughly and repeatedly trusting up into his body as he took him from below. 

"Fuck baby," he groaned, looking up at Harry in open wonder. "I'm so close... fuuuck, I'm going to come!"

Harry warmed at the urgency in Nev's voice and nodded enthusiastically as he murmured, "Come for me, baby... fill me up!"

Dragged over the edge by Harry's heated plea, Neville's body trembled with the intensity of his orgasm, and he felt as though he was being pulled apart at the seams then slowly stitched back together by the man above him. As he felt a sudden tightening in his bollocks, he pulled Harry down, wrapping him tight in his arms and devouring his lips as he rolled his hips and shot every last drop of come inside of him. 

Collapsing onto the bed, his body shook with adrenaline and he gasped for air. Nev felt himself gradually calming as Harry laid on top of him, stroking his hair and spreading tender kisses across his face, neck, and shoulders. When his heartbeat had finally settled to a relatively normal pace, and his limbs didn't feel quite so much like pudding, Nev slid one arm around Harry's waist, holding him close, and tilted his chin up, brushing their lips together in an adoring caress. As their lips finally parted, he smiled at the pink staining Harry's cheeks and softly reached up to trace its path. 

"Blimey, you're perfect," he mused in hushed adoration. Searching Harry's eyes as he wondered aloud, "What on earth did I do to deserve you?"

Harry's heart burst at the question and a dazzling smile lit up his face. It was as if Nev had taken the words right out of his mouth. He thought of how lucky he was to have met Neville in the first place. Timid and sweet, with a fierceness he'd kept hidden from the world. How even after all the suffering and loss he had endured, Neville still was the kindest person he'd ever met. Not even war had managed to change that about him. He had remained brave and selfless, always putting others before his own needs. And while Harry had thought he was cute when they'd first met, at some point he had grown to be so handsome that all other men paled beneath his light. As thoughts of Neville filled his mind, Harry leaned in to press a kiss against his neck then laid his head upon his shoulder and released a contented sigh, unable to recall the last time that he'd been so happy. 

A few moments had passed since he'd posed the question and Nev was laying still, relaxed. With his hands resting atop Harry's lower back and arse, he was simply enjoying the feeling of Harry's fingertips as they softly traced along the borders of his tattoos. So it came as quite the surprise when Harry glanced up and with a flirty grin, cheekily asked, "I have a question, Professor. Would you like me to supply you that list in the form of an essay or would you prefer that I read it aloud?"


	8. Making Memories

The next few days passed by in much the same manner. Harry and Neville spent hours in bed making love, only really stopping to nap and snuggle or share showers and meals. At night they curled up beside the fire, listening to music while talking about their aspirations and dreams until, exhausted, they would retire to bed. They slept soundly, bodies entwined, til one would wake the other with languid kisses that, more often than not, led to slow and relaxed sex before sleep would claim them once more. So it came as quite a surprise when Harry woke up on Tuesday morning and Neville was already fully dressed and ready for a day of playing in the snow. 

"Wake up, lazy bones," he teased Harry cheerily, wrapping a scarf around his neck as he leaned in for a good morning kiss. "It's time to go find ourselves a tree and decorate it."

Stretching, Harry grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and propped himself up on one elbow, blearily glancing out the windows to the snow-blanketed landscape beyond. Picking up his watch, he glanced at the time and frowned. _7:32?_ Failing to see how tramping around in the cold could possibly have Nev so excited this early in the morning, he dropped back down to the bed and pulled the coverlet up around his neck with an indignant huff. Shooting his new love a grumpy scowl, Harry tried his best to ignore the way his heart melted at the adorably chipper smile resting upon Neville's handsome face, and groggily mumbled, "Are you mad? It's freezing out there!"

"It certainly is!" Nev beamed, completely unfazed by Harry's sour demeanour.

Deciding to try another tactic when his first failed, Harry pushed the blankets aside and turned onto his stomach. Parting his legs, he bent one at the knee and rutted his prick against the sheets, delighting at the carnal desire which burned in Neville's eyes as he pinned him with a pleading stare. 

"It's cold in here, too," he murmured with a sigh. "Why don't you come back to bed and we can work up a sweat?" 

Grinning when Neville crawled up towards him from the foot of the bed, he closed his eyes as he waited to feel the familiar brush of Nev's tongue. However, delight was quickly replaced by surprise when Nev gently grazed his teeth across one of the cheeks of Harry's arse and rather suddenly spanked him, then stroked the stinging skin. 

Securing one hand upon his hip, Neville leaned down, kissing the tender spot just behind his ear and affectionately murmured, "That won't work."

Turning his head to look at Nev, Harry pouted, yet began to show signs of relenting as he said, "But you normally love an early morning lie-in."

"Mmm, that's true. Normally I do. Especially when it's with you," Neville hummed with a genuine smile. Running his fingers through Harry's hair, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, then pulled back so that they could lock eyes as he sweetly continued, "However, after having known each other for over a decade, I think that I know you pretty well. And one thing I am certain of is that no matter how much I would enjoy spending our every spare moment buried inside of you, if I were to do that, then it wouldn't be long before you started worrying that sex is all I want from you. And it's not."

"Oh," Harry breathed softly, looking adoringly up into Nev's eyes as his own sparkled with sudden emotion. "It's not?"

"No, baby," Neville murmured ardently. "I want so much more."

Urging Harry to turn around with a pull against the hip, Nev nodded approvingly as he rolled onto his back. Then, wrapping both arms around Harry's waist in a comforting embrace, Nev settled between his thighs and brushed the tips of their noses together as he softly continued, "Now, I've laid out some clothes for you. Why don't you take a warm shower, get dressed, and meet me downstairs? Once you have, we can head out and start creating some new Christmas memories together. How's that sound?"

"That sounds lovely," Harry said, voice thick with emotion. 

"Good," came Neville's contented reply. Swiping a thumb slowly back and forth over Harry's full lower lip, his gaze dropped to track the movement and darkened, heating as he cleared his throat and continued in a tone which was full of promise. "And, if you're still cold when we get back, I promise to carry you back upstairs and do whatever it takes to warm you up. Have we got a deal?"

Harry nodded eagerly, suddenly unable to find his voice. With that, Nev pressed one last dizzying kiss to his lips, leaving him breathless, and slid out of his grasp. Standing at the foot of the bed, he reached down and boldly squeezed the hardening bulge that was pressing against his thigh, then casually readjusted himself. 

"You've got fifteen minutes, then I expect to see your handsome face looking up into mine and giving me a kiss at the front door," he said, giving Harry a roguish wink before he turned to head downstairs.

___

Harry practically vaulted out of bed, rushing into the bathroom and washing up in record time. It felt like pure agony having to wait for his toothbrush to finish cycling, and when it finally had, he quickly spat the froth from his mouth, then dashed back into the bedroom. 

Pulling his hair up into a messy bun, he glanced around the room and smiled as he spotted the outfit that Nev had pulled together for him, laid out across a chaise which rested against the bannister. As he drew closer to the articles of clothing he looked them over and, spotting the sleek black pants which he'd normally wear, was struck by an idea. Remembering one of the fantasies that both he and Nev had found they shared in common, he quickly Apparated back home and sprinted into his closet, grateful to find the scandalous undergarments he had in mind exactly where they'd been tucked away since their original purchase. 

While he'd never had the courage to wear them for anyone else, Harry thought they'd make the perfect surprise for Nev to unwrap later, and he quickly shimmied into them before returning to the cabin and hurriedly slipping into the rest of the clothing he'd been provided. Securing his watch, Harry checked the time and a bubble of excitement expanded in his stomach upon reading 7:45. 

_Two minutes to spare,_ he thought _,_ as he stepped in front of the floor-length mirror and gave himself a final once over, admiring how good he looked as he did. The tight black jeans which Neville had selected clung perfectly to his arse and thighs, while the rich green of the checkered flannel accentuated Harry's eyes and made them pop. Black leather hiking boots and Sirius's sherpa-lined moto jacket completed the outfit, ensuring that he'd keep warm all while looking effortlessly fashionable. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Harry then winked at his reflection one last time and set out for the lounge. 

He bounded down the stairs, so eager to collect the kiss he'd been promised that he took them two at a time, and grinned when he cleared the landing and turned to face the door. And that is when he spotted Neville, causing his stomach to do a small flip and a blush burst across his cheeks. Leaning sexily up against the wall, with his arms crossed over his chest, Nev's eyes were pinned to Harry and filled with such heat that they could have thawed the frozen woodland outside.

"You look incredible," he breathed, reaching out for Harry as he approached and wrapping him tight into the security of his arms. 

"Thank you," Harry said softly as he wrapped his own arms around Neville's neck, stroking the curls at its base. "So do you."

It was true. Wearing an ivory cashmere jumper which glowed against his tanned skin and golden hair, as well as pale blue jeans and a matching denim jacket that clung temptingly to his athletic frame, Nev looked every bit the heartthrob Rita Skeeter had made him out to be in the years since his leadership of the DA had surfaced. 

"Just on time," he smiled, pulling Harry from his thoughts and stoking his desire as he leaned close and quietly murmured, "Now where's that kiss I asked for?"

"Mmm, right here," Harry whispered coyly and, standing up on his tiptoes, brushed their lips together.

Neville groaned with satisfaction, sliding his hands down Harry's back until they dipped past his waist to palm his arse and, deepening their kiss, he squeezed. The urge to be closer, to feel more, was instinctive and he quickly found himself pushing Harry up against the wall and grazing their pricks together as he nibbled a path along the column of his neck. It wasn't until Harry's breath hitched and he reached beneath Nev's jumper for his belt that Nev even realised how close he was to going back on his word, and with every last bit of resolve that he could summon he finally pulled away—panting slightly with the effort and doing his best to ignore the insistent bulge trapped inside his trousers.

"More," Harry mewled and leaned in for another kiss.

Neville relented with a smile, but only allowed the caress to last a few moments before softly squeezing Harry's arse and straightening once more. 

"Later," he murmured sweetly, kissing each of Harry's temples to soften his retreat.

"Fine," Harry pouted, chest heaving as he slid his fingers up to Nev's nipples and lightly squeezed them. "Spoilsport."

The reprisal caused Neville to chuckle and reach up beneath his shirt to extract Harry's hands. Lifting them up, he feathered tiny kisses across each of Harry's knuckles and gazed into his evergreen eyes as he softly replied, "Guilty as charged. Now, put on your gloves, hat and scarf and let's head outside."

Unable to suppress the smile that lit up his face, Harry practically beamed as he nodded and walked to the closet which stored the items in question. Pulling on the cheery scarlet items, he spun around towards Nev with a little twirl and struck a pose. 

"Perfect," Nev smiled as he reached out and opened the door. Standing beside it, he inclined his head and winked at Harry as he said, "After you, my love."

Stepping out of their little bubble, Harry looked around at the crisp alabaster landscape, sparkling as if it had been dusted in diamonds, and found that he was finally able to appreciate just how lovely a scene they were surrounded by. The meadow was blanketed in snow while all the trees glistened with limbs tipped in white; all the while, fluffy snowflakes tumbled down from the skies above, making it seem as though they'd stumbled into a snowglobe. As it turned out, Neville had been right: Harry was so distracted by the beauty surrounding them that he didn't even notice the cold as he tilted his head back and turned in circles, taking in their surroundings. 

Stopping suddenly, he turned and looked at Nev. His eyes were bright as he gleefully said, "It's so beautiful out here! Thank you for dragging me out of bed. I would have been sad to have missed such a lovely sight."

Heart swelling at the pure bliss shining in Harry's eyes, Neville found himself in complete agreement, although it wasn't the Cairngorms that had caught his eye. _You are the loveliest sight in the world_ , he thought as his eyes slowly roved over the man of his dreams. He dedicated to memory the image of Harry with eyes lit up and joy radiating off him in waves. Picking up the handle to a small sledge that he'd been hiding on the porch, he levelled Harry with a smile of his own and walked up to join him, slipping Harry's hand into the palm of his and entwining their fingers as he leaned in for a kiss before sweetly saying, "Don't thank me just yet, darling. The morning has only just begun."

"What do you have there?" Harry asked curiously, looking down to the baskets Neville had secured to the sledge.

"A surprise," he said with a cheeky grin and a wink. "You can open them when we get to the tree."

And for once, Harry didn't argue, instead happily chirping, "I love surprises. Lead the way!"

Walking hand-in-hand, the two made quick time and as they reached the edge of the clearing Neville slowed. Pulling Harry to a stop as they approached one of the smaller trees at the meadow's edge, he softly said, "Here we are."

Looking up at the young lodgepole pine, Harry's eyes softened, growing misty, and there was a touch of melancholy to his voice as he quietly replied, "It seems a touch sad to cut down such a pretty little tree while it's still in its prime, doesn't it?"

Nev's chest ached with emotion at the question and it hit him then just how incredibly in love he was with Harry. Smiling, he pulled Harry in and wrapped him up in his arms. He softly placed a kiss against the crown of his head before he looked down and said, "Yes, it does. So, I guess we'll agree that it's a good thing we won't be felling it today."

"We won't?" Harry asked. 

"No, love," Nev said with an affectionate grin. "We won't."

"But, I thought we were going to find a tree and decorate it," Harry said, brow raised in confusion. 

"And so we will," Nev smiled. Reaching up he stroked Harry's cheek and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips before softly murmuring, "It's time to open up your baskets, darling."

Curiosity and excitement danced across Harry's features, and he leaned up to steal another kiss before he stepped from Neville's embrace and approached the sledge. Leaning down, he untied the red ribbons which were securing the two wicker baskets in place and slowly opened their lids, one after the other. Inside was a veritable cornucopia of homemade Christmas decorations and his heart lurched in his chest. Filling up one basket were perfectly coiled strands of popcorn and cranberries which had been strung into garlands, and in the other were ornaments made from dried apple slices as well as peanut butter and birdseed-coated pinecones.

"You did all this?" Harry asked, voice full of awe as he pried his eyes away from the beautiful finery laid out before him. 

"I did," Nev smiled, colouring prettily. 

"How? When?" Harry murmured, looking up at him with wonder.

"While you slept," he said, softly. Voice thick, he explained, "My gran and I used to do this together. Every year she would dry the fruit and create the ornaments while I strung up the popcorn and cranberries. Then, when we were all done, we'd go outside and decorate the tree that my pa proposed to my mum beneath. It was our way of keeping them close. Of being able to celebrate Christmas with them." Taking off his hat, Neville dropped his gaze and slowly began to wring the burgundy fabric in his hands. Looking as though he was worried of what would come next, he cleared his throat and quietly continued, "I just thought that since neither of us has any family left and we're both on our own, maybe this year we didn't have to be. That maybe you and I could celebrate Christmas together... my gran always used orange slices for the ornaments, but I know that deer prefer apples, so that's what I've used here. That way all of them can be with us. Your parents, and mine, and gran."

Neville's voice broke on the last and he quieted, taking a moment to compose himself before he finally brought his glistening eyes back up to meet Harry's. Worry gnawed at his stomach and he tried to make sense of what Harry was thinking as he dropped his gaze to look back down into one of the baskets with renewed interest. Leaning down, he picked up one of the dried apple discs and cradled it in his hand before lifting it up and bringing it to rest against his heart. 

"I can't believe that you did this all by yourself. That you'd share this with me," Harry said softly, swallowing around the tightness in his throat as he looked back up to Neville. There was a brief moment where the two of them stood, quietly sharing a mutual pain that few of their peers understood, before something changed in Harry's eyes and he dashed back to Nev. Nearly knocking him over and causing them both to fall as he flung his arms around Neville's waist. 

"Thank you," he whispered tightly, burying his face in the crook of Neville's neck as his unshed tears finally sprang free. His response was so sudden and unexpected that it caused Nev's own eyes to water in response. Folding his arms tightly around Harry, Neville wrapped him up in a comforting embrace and slowly began to rock back and forth as he soothingly rubbed his back. 

"You're welcome," he murmured then softly kissed his brow. 

And as the snow continued to swirl around them, blanketing the forest in a soothing stillness, the two held each other close until finally Neville gave Harry one last squeeze and released him. 

"Popcorn or cranberries?" he asked with a smile, as he reached down and held up one string of each. 

"Cranberries," Harry replied, taking the garland with a smile. 

Stealing another kiss, he then followed Nev's lead and together they began to decorate the pine. The next hour passed by in a contended blur, with both Harry and Neville stealing kisses, passing each other ornaments, and swishing their wands in long sweeping motions to help aid in covering the uppermost branches, and before long the pretty, little tree had been transformed. Standing proud, its boughs showcased the edible and delicate decorations, which beautifully popped against their snowy backdrop. The project itself was a work of time, tenderness, and love, which Harry soon realised could easily be viewed from their cabin as, holding hands, they turned back and headed inside. 


	9. Packages Tied Up With String

Neville quickly closed the door as he pulled Harry in from the cold, reaching out and smiling as he carefully removed the snow-covered scarf and hat from around his neck and head. The disruption caused Harry's silky black locks to tumble free from the tie that had been binding them, cascading in waves around his shoulders, and Nev's heart leapt in his chest at the smouldering expression that had settled into those gorgeous eyes as they rose to meet his.

More tempting still was the rosy glow left behind on Harry's cheeks and nose from the winter chill which, when combined with the wildness of his hair, left Harry looking as if he'd been freshly fucked, causing Nev's cock to harden and his trousers to tighten insistently.

"Still cold?" he murmured huskily, thrilling at the way Harry nodded and clung to his jacket.

"Freezing," Harry whispered, watching his lips with a longing stare.

"Well then, I guess we'd better get you out of these clothes and warm you up."

An intense hunger filled Harry's eyes and he nodded slowly, standing on tiptoe to brush his lips against Neville's before he froze and pulled away. 

"Just give me one minute. I need to run to the bathroom," he said, flushing as he continued, "I'll be right back. Okay?"

Nev chuckled at the sudden change in his demeanour and nodded. _I've waited for you half my life,_ he thought _. What's a few minutes more?_ After all, one couldn't always help when nature called. Holding Harry's chin in place, he stole one last kiss and hotly murmured against his lips, "Of course. I'll get a fire started and meet you on the couch."

Smiling, Harry nodded and slipped away. Quickly shrugging out of his coat, he shook the snow free and then hung it up in the closet before turning and heading back upstairs. 

Nev watched his retreating form a few moments more, wearing a lovesick expression as he admired the strong lines of Harry's back and shoulders, before shrugging out of his own coat and turning to face the hearth. With a swish of his wand, he pulled the wood and kindling from their respective piles and formed them into the shape of a log cabin, directing it into the fireplace with ease. A further flick of the wrist caused sparks to crackle at its centre and he nodded as they morphed and spread, slowly growing into a cosy fire. 

Looking around, he decided the room needed something more and walked through the kitchen and into the pantry, grinning once he'd found what he'd been looking for. Stacked in rows along the back of one of the shelves were a number of candles and he waved his wand, directing them into the lounge. Standing between the sofa and coffee table, he turned in a circle, carefully scattering them around the room before twirling his wrist and lighting them in one fluid motion. 

"Ace," he murmured as he glanced around and admired his handiwork. He smiled at the final result. 

Easing himself down onto the comfortable seating arrangement, he stretched his legs out, propping his feet up on the coffee table, and retrieved his copy of Phineas Morley's _Belligerent Botany_ , settling in as he waited for Harry to return. 

Meanwhile upstairs, Harry had stripped out of his damp clothing the moment he'd disappeared from Nev's sight and laid them out across the chaise to dry. Then, turning back towards the soggy hiking boots that he'd just removed, he muttered a quick combination of drying and transfiguration spells and smiled as they morphed into a posh-looking pair of black stilettos. Slipping them on, he slowly approached the gilded mirror beside their bed and flushed when he caught sight of his reflection. 

Having shed the outfit which Neville had chosen for him, he was left wearing only the lingerie that he'd slipped on beneath it, and standing before Harry was a man whom he barely recognised. Slim and sculpted, he smiled at the way his ecru skin caused the risqué undergarments to pop against his smooth complexion. The garter belt and thong he wore were made of fine French lace, shifting from emerald to onyx as the light caught upon their shimmering thread and led his gaze down to the matching silk stockings which clung to his legs and perfectly accentuated them. Twisting slowly around, he thrilled at the way his already pert arse was lifted and put on display by the sinful fuck-me pumps that completed his look. 

Turning back towards the mirror, he lifted his wand and gave it a flourish, smiling when his already lush lashes extended and a gloss appeared upon his lips. He then quickly ran his fingers through his hair, mussing its waves just the way Neville liked, and gave himself a final once-over, smiling with a saucy wink as he admired his reflection.

Satisfied with the outcome, he carefully stepped from his heels and picked them up so he could more easily creep down to Nev and descended the stairs. As he finally cleared the last step, Harry looked up and took in the sight of Neville reclining on the couch. Settled cosily in front of the fire, he was surrounded by twinkling white candles with a book poised between his skilled fingertips and a slight smile curling across his beautiful lips. A jolt of euphoria shot through Harry's veins as he absorbed the reality that this incredible man, who he still couldn't believe was his to touch and kiss, was waiting just for him.

Grinning, he quietly placed the stilettos onto the floor, stepped back into them, and cocked one hip out in front of the other. Softly clearing his throat before he spoke, "Hey, stud."

The endearment zipped down Neville's spine, causing the hair on his forearms to rise and his already stiff prick to ache. Smiling, he leaned forward and set the book back on the coffee table before turning to face its source. 

"Mmm... you know how much I love it when you call me tha—." However, the words died on Nev's lips, and his eyes flared as he finally took Harry in. 

Standing poised in front of the stairs, he was dripping in leather and lace, looking sexier than any fantasy Neville could ever hope to dream up. From the black pumps on his feet, and the sheer thigh-highs that skimmed and lengthened his beautifully toned legs, all the way up to the skimpy scraps of lace that tauntingly covered his slender waist and cock—every inch of Harry was screaming to be claimed. Nev suddenly found it difficult to breathe, his body in overdrive as he remembered the conversation they'd had two nights prior. 

_"What's a fantasy you've always wanted to try, but have never had the nerve to?" he'd asked Harry. Desperate to give things to him that no one else had._

_There had been a pause and Harry had lowered his lashes, hiding his eyes as he'd softly murmured, "To dress up in pretty little underpinnings, and watch the heat in my lover's eyes as he slowly peels them off."_

_Desire had slammed through Neville's body at the admission, and he had nearly come when Harry had slowly lifted his eyes and asked, "What's yours?"_

_The answer had been as immediate as it was sincere._

_"To see you in lace."_

And here Harry stood: eyes hooded and watching Nev's every move as he slowly reached down into his lacy little knickers and stroked his prick. 

"Fuck, baby," Neville groaned in a tortured voice, his eyes roving over Harry from head to toe. "What are you wearing?"

"You like it?" Harry smiled wickedly, doing a little spin and revealing his incredible arse as he did. "I know it's only Christmas Eve, but I thought you might like something to unwrap."

A strangled noise escaped Neville's throat as he fought to maintain control. Vaulting over the back of the couch, he rushed to Harry and their mouths crushed against one another as he took him in his arms. The intensity of his kisses left Harry breathless and disoriented as he pulled away and bent down, wrapping his arms around Harry’s lace-clad thighs and lifting him up in one swift movement. A surprised little exclamation burst from his mouth and the sound of it chipped further at Neville’s resolve. 

A quick brush of lips against his hip accompanied by the sting of Nev's palm against his arse pulled a moan from Harry's lips, and before he knew it he was watching Neville’s firm behind swaying back and forth as they ascended the stairs. Moments later his stomach dropped out from beneath him and he suddenly found himself looking up at the ceiling as Nev tossed him onto the bed and knelt down at the foot of it.

“It should be illegal for anyone to be this sexy,” Neville murmured heatedly. Spreading kisses along Harry’s thighs, he bit down around one of the garters and tugged against it, releasing it with a stinging snap that caused Harry to moan. 

“It’s too bad that you’re not an Auror anymore,” Harry teasingly pouted, propping himself up on his elbows and flexing his hips temptingly.

“Oh? And why’s that?” Nev said with a dark smile as he lifted his jumper over his head and, pulling it off, cast it across the room. His golden curls were tussled by its removal and Harry longed to run his fingers through them and pull. Instead, he settled for sliding them temptingly over his thighs and groin as his eyes slowly raked over Neville, pausing to bite his lip at the now familiar outline that pressed against the thigh of his jeans.

“Because,” he whispered tartly. “I’m rather fond of the idea of you handcuffing me.”

Neville’s eyes flared at the daring remark and he reached down, slowly unbuckling his belt and pulling it free as he hummed, “If you wanted to be bound, all you had to do was ask. Is that what you want, baby?”

Blood rushed to Harry’s head, pounding in his ears, and he nodded wordlessly. Desire and fear were a heady concoction, filling his veins and causing him to squirm against the linens.

The half-smile that pulled at Neville’s lips was primal and Harry suddenly found himself feeling as though he was prey being stalked through the forest, desperate to be caught.

“Wait here, right here,” Neville instructed him, an authoritative bent to his voice. Raising himself to stand, he leaned in, invading Harry’s space to brush a kiss over his lips. “And don’t move a muscle. Understood?”

Harry nodded obediently, eyes wide and panting. He loved this side of Nev and would have done just about anything he was asked to.

“Good,” Neville purred. Sinking his fingers into Harry’s hair, he tugged it softly and craned his neck, dragging his teeth over the newly exposed skin and causing him to whimper with need. “I’ll know if you disobey me.”

“What’ll happen if I do?” Harry asked softly. A flush spreading from his cheeks to his chest.

Neville’s stomach tightened.

“Do you want me to show you?"

Harry looked up at him, green eyes hooded as he gave a single nod.

“Turn over.” 

His tone brooked no argument and Harry did so immediately, bending over the edge of the bed. Squirming as he felt the brush of lips up his spine. The tip of a nose gliding over his shoulder blade. Fingers sinking into his hair, gathering it in a fist and squeezing tightly.

“Stay still,” Nev murmured roughly beside his ear. A whimper escaped Harry’s throat, but he did as he was told and held his breath, waiting.

A sudden brush of something smooth and cool against his arse competed for attention with the lips that were exploring the crook of his neck, and he gasped dreamily as the two sensations licked at his senses and worked him up into a frenzy. Then both withdrew, leaving him with heightened senses and a longing that warmed the pit of his stomach. He waited for a torturous few moments, aching, and when his need finally became too much to bear, he rocked his hips desperate for relief. 

A quiet tsk sounded from behind him mere moments before he felt the lash of leather lick across his skin, causing the breath to catch in his throat as delicious pain lanced across his behind.

“I told you to stay still,” Nev tutted. A second, harder impact followed his words and Harry cried out in pleasure. Panting when the gentle press of fingers soothed his burning skin, followed closely by a trail of kisses. Light-headed he flushed as Neville continued, “Now you know what happens when you disobey me. So, don’t move a muscle.”

Drawing the belt along his skin, Nev draped the length of it across the expanse of Harry’s arse and tucked it in beneath his hips. Leaving him wound up and waiting as he murmured, “I’ll know if you do.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry breathed softly.

“Good boy,” came Neville’s husky reply and with that he disappeared, leaving Harry trembling and desperate for release. 

The moments ticked by, tortuous in the way that they stretched out, but Harry remained still, waiting as patiently as he was able to. Focusing on his breathing, he attempted not to let his mind run away with him, knowing that the rewards that Neville had in store far outweighed any release he could give himself.

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even hear when Nev padded back into the room, and goosebumps burst across his skin at the sudden brush of fingers through his hair and lips against his shoulder.

"So good..." Neville murmured, causing Harry to smile and preen as he slowly pulled his belt free and let it fall to the floor. A few more kisses ghosted across the column of Harry’s throat before he quietly continued, “Now, put your hands behind your back and turn to look at me.”

Harry nodded and released the coverlet that he’d had bunched in his fists. With movements that were carefully measured, he slowly pulled his arms down from where they had been resting above his head and crossed them over the small of his back. Turning his neck and pressing his cheek against the bed, he slowly opened his eyes and flushed as they met the piercing blue of Nev’s. 

“Like that?” he asked breathily.

“Just like that,” Neville smiled and leaned down for a soft pull from his lips.

He was sitting across the edge of the bed and Harry warmed as he realised that the front of his well-worn denims had been unbuttoned and the zipper was parted, revealing the shimmering path of champagne curls that rested just above his incredible cock. Across his gorgeous thigh lay a tightly coiled length of black silk rope, and Harry bit into his full lower lip at the images that had suddenly begun to race through his mind.

“Have you ever been tied up before?” Neville asked softly. Looking down at him affectionately as he softly ran his fingers up and down along his spine.

“No. I’ve only ever been handcuffed,” Harry whispered, thrilled as he watched something primal and possessive pass through Nev’s eyes at his confession. Flushing, he softly continued, “But I’ve always wanted to be.”

“Soon,” Neville said with a smile, then leaned in for another kiss. “But first we need to talk about safety. This rope is soft, so it shouldn’t hurt your wrists too badly, but still, I want you to let me know if you experience any discomfort or pain. Especially if your arms, hands or shoulders start to fall asleep. We don’t want you getting any nerve damage. Alright?”

Harry nodded, paying close attention to Nev’s instructions as joy and longing exploded in his chest at his gentle tone.

“Good,” Nev said. Rewarding him with another brush of the lips. “Since you’ve never done this before, you’re probably going to think the restraints need to be tighter than they actually do. The goal is to restrain your overall movements, but you should still be able to wiggle your fingers and ball your fists, so I’m going to need you to do both of those things as I tie them around you. So long as you can’t slip your wrists through them, we are good.”

Again, Harry nodded, his curiosity and need rising to meet each other as he listened closely to every word. 

“Lastly,” Neville said with a smile, “safe words are wonderful, and you can certainly choose one of you'd like to, but in this situation, it’s not an absolute necessity. I’ve enchanted these ropes so that if you panic and forget it, or if your mouth is otherwise occupied, they will sense a fear response and release you. Sound good?”

Knowing that Nev had taken such extreme care in considering his well-being caused Harry’s chest to ache with love, and he quietly nodded his understanding, unable to find his voice.

“Good,” Neville smiled sweetly, stroking Harry’s hair and brushing their noses together.

When he straightened there was a new rigidity in his posture and Harry’s heart raced at the dominance of it.

“Uncross your wrists,” he said softly, and lifted the rope from his lap, slowly unwinding it as he watched Harry closely. He nodded approvingly as Harry complied. “That’s good, baby. Now, ball your hands into fists and press them as closely together as is comfortable.”

When Harry had done as he was asked, Neville rose from the bed and came around to stand between his thighs, pulling Harry’s wrists up just enough to ensure that he had proper movement in his shoulders and that he’d be able to work around them. Slowly, Nev began to twine the rope back and forth around his wrists, wrapping it in a figure-eight pattern, before securing it with a few loops across the centre. Taking great care to make sure the strand wasn’t cutting into his skin and that he had enough room to slip a finger beneath the binds.

“Okay baby,” he murmured softly, “now is the time to wiggle those fingers and ball those fists for me.” 

Harry did as he was asked, peeking over his shoulder and staring with fascination as Neville closely watched his hands, checking his range of movement and readjusting the rope as necessary. As though he could sense Harry’s eyes on him, Nev glanced up and smiled, giving him a flirtatious wink as he tugged against the restraints. 

“How’s that?” he asked with a smile. “Are you comfortable?”

Flushing, Harry returned his smile and nodded.

“Good. Now, let’s see what we can do to change that,” he said, sending butterflies rocketing through Harry’s stomach. Then, securing his hands around Harry’s hips, Neville lifted up against them and hotly murmured, “Crawl up the bed.”

Using his shoulder for leverage, Harry did as he was told and slowly inched his way up until his face was planted amongst the pillows.

“On your back,” Neville commanded next, an approving smile lighting up his face as Harry turned to face him. His eyes raked slowly over Harry’s body, lingering on the lace that was wrapped around his waist before dipping further south and settling on his thighs. “Good boy. Now spread your legs.”

Crawling into the space that appeared between Harry’s ankles, he slowly slipped his heels off and gently kissed across the arches of his feet as he massaged them with gentle strokes.

“Oh...” Harry sighed softly, surprise arching his brows as he watched on with hooded eyes.

Glancing up, Nev smiled, then slowly began to kiss his way up Harry’s left calf and thigh. Whimpering, Harry bit into his lower lip and nodded, heating as their eyes met when Neville reached up and hooked his fingers beneath the fabric that was stretched across his hips. 

“What’s this?” Nev murmured teasingly, leaning in to run his tongue over Harry’s cock where it pressed insistently against the lace of his knickers, pulling a moan from between his lips. 

“Fuck!” Harry gasped, struggling against his restraints as they pressed between his back and the bed.

Neville glanced up at the cry and smiled wickedly, then teasingly murmured, “I guess I’ll just have to pull these down to find out.”

Harry nodded enthusiastically back at him. Watching with wide eyes as Nev roughly tugged down on the fabric until his cock sprang free. Squirming when Nev's lips brushed over his shaft and bollocks, before tilting back up into a grin as he slowly pulled the little piece of fabric free from Harry’s body and wadded it into a ball.

Nev sucked and nipped a trail of kisses across Harry’s skin as he slowly crawled back up the bed, stopping just shy of his lips as he hovered above them.

“Open your mouth,” he said softly. The dominance in his voice seemed to curl around Harry’s prick and squeeze. 

Nodding obediently, Harry licked his lips then parted them, heart hammering in his chest as he eagerly waited to find out what would come next. Half expecting to feel the press of Nev’s own lips against his, he flushed crimson and let out a muffled moan when Neville took the little ball he’d created with Harry’s knickers and shoved them into his mouth instead. 

“You like that, baby?” Neville murmured hotly. Heart racing when Harry’s brows creased and he quickly nodded, straining against his ties. 

"Good,” he breathed, stroking Harry’s hair, then tugging against it and holding him in place as he ground their cocks against each other. As pleasure coiled in the pit of his stomach, Neville groaned, and his voice was strained with need when he continued, “Because now I am going to fuck you so hard that you’ll forget everything but the feeling of me buried inside of you, pressing against that special little spot until you come around my prick.”

Harry whimpered, eyes rolling back as the image of Nev sheathed inside of him flashed across his mind. Panic surged through his veins though when Neville crawled out from between his thighs. The feeling was washed away seconds later, however, when he reached down and firmly pressed his palm to Harry's hip, guiding him into rolling back onto his stomach. The brush of lips against his spine was a balm to Harry’s frayed nerves, and he let out a heaving sigh at the feeling of Nev’s fingers pressing between his cleft and massaging his eager rosette. 

“That’s it,” Neville murmured softly, gradually slipping two fingers past the pink ring of muscles and into Harry’s body. Pumping slowly, he said, “Open up for me.”

As if Harry’s body was capable of doing anything else at that moment. 

With a moan and a sigh, Harry relaxed onto the bed, grinding his cock against the coverlet as his hips mirrored the rhythm of Nev’s strokes. Finally, when his body was so relaxed it felt like it might meld to the bed, Neville pulled his fingers free and knelt between Harry’s legs.

“Up on your knees,” came his husky command and, desperate to feel the pleasure that had been promised, Harry complied. A moment or two later, he felt Neville settle between his thighs and groaned when a hand closed around his hip, holding him in place as a warm stream of liquid dripped onto his hole. 

Neville slowly rubbed his piercing back and forth across it, making sure that Harry was relaxed and slick, before sinking roughly into him, pressing all the way inside. Harry cursed instinctively, but the only sound to escape around the gag in his mouth was a mewling cry.

Neville for his part let out a heady groan, leaning over Harry and curling his arms around his waist as he slowly began to rock his hips.

“Fuuuck!” he gasped roughly, stilling for a moment as the pleasure which was pounding through his body threatened to pull him under. When it finally felt as if he could move without risk of immediately spilling inside of Harry, he tightened his grasp around his waist and slowly straightened until Harry was kneeling atop his lap, straddling his thighs. 

"How's that feel, love?" he murmured thickly against Harry's neck, gripping the restraints wrapped around his wrists tightly, using them to hold him in place as he thrust deeply from behind. 

Harry's responding moan was drawn out and muffled against the ball of knickers inside his mouth and Neville smiled at the keening quality of it. 

Drawing the tip of his tongue along the shell of Harry's ear, he continued to thrust in and out of his body before gently biting and tugging at its lobe. The trembling groan that he was met with only served to heighten his arousal, and as a burst of adrenaline shot through his veins, Neville wrapped Harry’s hair around his free hand and tightened his grip. 

"Mmm, you like that baby?" he asked huskily. 

Harry nodded frantically in response, pulling against his restraints and pumping his own hips in time with Neville’s. 

"What's that?” he taunted, loving the desperate way that Harry attempted to respond around his gag. “I can't hear you, baby... I'm gonna need you to speak up. Tell me what you want."

Nev’s words pulled a whimper from Harry's throat which quickly morphed into a frustrated groan and he thrashed his hips back, stilling as the deepness of their combined strokes pressed insistently against his prostate, nudging him closer to climax. The pleasure that had been so overwhelming mere moments before mellowed to a satisfying pulse and sated his lust-driven anxiety as Neville continued to slowly thrust in and out of his body. Relaxing, Harry dropped his head back to rest against Nev’s shoulder, sighing contentedly as they gradually found themselves moving as one. 

Resting his cheek against Harry’s temple, Neville pressed a kiss to it, flushing as his eyes caught sight of their reflection in the mirror. Etched into Harry’s face was a look of pure bliss, his black lashes fanned across his flushed cheeks, mouth relaxed against the balled-up lace between his lips as he quietly moaned. Yet the image only became more incredible as Nev’s eyes travelled down their entwined figures; Loving the sight of Harry’s prick as it stood straight up with a glistening thread of precum dripping down and disappearing from sight between his silk and lace clad thighs. Nev flexed and rolled his hips, desperate to be as deep inside of his raven-haired beauty as their bodies would allow.

“Mmmuuuhrr,” Harry cried out against his gag, trying desperately to be heard as he struggled against his restraints and tightened his hole around Neville’s cock. 

The pleasure was overwhelming, stealing Neville’s breath away like a punch to the gut, and with a voice like velvet heat, he roughly murmured, "Keep that up and I won't be able to stop myself from spilling inside of you. Is that what you want?"

The question had been intended as a rhetorical one, but when Harry frantically nodded and squeezed tighter still, Neville was filled by a sudden need to do exactly that. 

Letting go of Harry’s hair, he reached between their bodies and quickly began to untie the cord from around Harry’s wrists. Even the shaking of Nev's hands couldn’t overpower his experience, and it was only a scant few seconds before Harry’s wrists slipped free of the silk that bound them. 

Not wasting a single second that was given to him, Harry pulled the lace knickers from his mouth and turned his face to meet Nev’s. Wrapping one hand over the palm that was secured around his waist, he tangled the other in Neville’s curls as their mouths collided in a searing kiss.

“Deeper,” he whimpered, riding Nev frantically as he moaned, “I’m going to come!”

As though Harry’s words had set off a switch in him, Neville trembled and held him tighter. Slipping in and out of his body at a dizzying pace, he reached down between Harry’s thighs and palmed his cock, stroking it in time to the pumping of their hips.

“Come for me, baby,” he murmured heatedly. He tried to rein in his own desire as Harry whimpered and began to tremble in his arms. A few strokes more and Harry stiffened in his arms, crying out incoherently as his prick spasmed in Neville’s grasp and a warm rush of liquid flowed down from his knob, coating Neville’s fingers and causing a familiar tightening to settle in his groin. “That’s it,” he groaned softly, trying desperately to regain control as he continued to kiss and stroke Harry’s neck and cock, easing him through his climax. 

By the time Harry’s equilibrium began to return to normal, Nev was wound tighter than a drum, only succumbing to his own need when Harry reached back, stroking his hair and beginning to ride him once more.

“Are you ready to come, love?” Harry asked softly.

The sound that clawed its way out of Neville’s throat was somewhere between a laugh and a groan, breathy and slightly hysterical as he wrapped both arms tightly around Harry’s waist, holding him close as he nodded in confirmation.

"What are you waiting for, stud?” he asked, stoking Nev’s desire. “Give it to me! I want you to come inside!”

“FUCK!” Neville cried out, unable to hold back any longer as Harry’s words washed over him. Their lips found each other, crashing together and Neville slid his hands down Harry’s body and gripped onto his thighs. Holding Harry in place as stars burst across his vision and he roughly fucked and filled him from behind. 

“That’s it,” Harry murmured, repeating Nev’s own words against his lips, as the pace of their lovemaking gradually slowed. Softly squeezing around his prick, Harry drew a gasp from Nev’s lips as the last of his seed drained inside of him.

Then, leaning forward, they both moaned as Nev's cock slipped free and, feeling as though his limbs were made of jelly, Harry laid down. Rolling onto his back, he gave Nev a gentle smile and patted the space beside him. 

“Come here, baby,” he said in a soft and soothing voice, smiling when, instead of dropping to the bed, Nev leaned down and kissed his thigh. Then, with aching tenderness, he carefully removed Harry’s garter belt and stockings. He dropped them to the floor before snagging a spare blanket from the foot of the bed, crawling back up it, and spreading the warming layer over their exposed skin.

“Roll over,” Neville grumbled sleepily, kissing his shoulder. “I want you to be the little spoon.”

Smiling, Harry complied and moved onto his side. Sighing contentedly, he quickly fell asleep, as Neville curled up behind him, wrapping him tight within the safety of his arms.


	10. Out Of The Shadows & Into The Light

Neville stirred from his sleep, blearily turning his head towards Harry, in an action that had become as natural to him as breathing since the first night he'd woken up and their limbs were entangled. His lips turned up into a smile when he found Harry to already be awake, head resting on his shoulder as he gazed lovingly up into his eyes. 

Yawning, Neville stretched and tightened his arm around Harry's waist before closing his eyes and, in a particularly sexy version of his already deep voice, groggily murmured, "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's creepy to watch people while they sleep?" 

But there was no heat to his words and instead, they came out sounding quite pleased.

A brief moment of silence, and then he could hear the smile in Harry's voice as he ardently replied, "I'm sorry, Nev. You're just so beautiful that I can't help it."

The reverie in his voice went straight to Neville's head and, striking quickly, he rolled over and settled between Harry's thighs as he laid on top of him. Looking down into his stunning fern-hued eyes, Nev gently ran his fingers through the black silk of Harry's hair and rolled his hips, causing their cocks to rub together. Smiling at the gentle moan that his actions drew from between Harry's delectable lips, he leaned down until his own were hovering just above them and huskily whispered, "Mmm, say my name like that again."

Leaning up, Harry tangled his fingers into Neville’s curls and softly brushed their lips together as he breathily murmured, “Nev...”

"Perfect,” Neville groaned in response, loving the way his name always sounded like a prayer when it fell from Harry’s lips.

Closing the distance, Neville kissed him deep and slow, softly nipping against his full lower lip when Harry's legs tightened around his waist and increased the pressure that was building between their bodies.

“What time is it?” he asked heatedly.

“About two o’clock,” Harry murmured softly in reply, running one hand down Nev’s shoulder and stroking his tattooed chest. Smiling, he playfully asked, “Why baby? Is there someone else who’s expecting you?”

“Not exactly,” Nev replied, loving the brief spark of jealousy that flamed in Harry’s eyes as they met his.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked, a look of confusion marring his brow.

“Well, today is Christmas Eve,” Neville murmured, leaning in to collect another kiss.

“Yes it is...” Harry said softly, curiosity peaking and a touch of hurt replacing the confusion that had previously touched his voice. “Do you need to leave?”

“Not without you, darling,” Neville said softly, brushing his fingertips over Harry’s brow and smoothing the confusion away. “I just know how much the Weasleys mean to you, and I thought that maybe you’d like to go to their party tonight since you no longer have to worry about going alone.”

Harry’s eyes widened and excitement sparked in them as he quietly asked, “You’d be willing to go with me?”

“Of course,” Neville smiled, chuckling at the look of pure bliss that spread across his beautiful face. Deciding to take a leap of faith, he continued, “After all, being a plus one is supposed to be one of the many duties for which you can rely upon a boyfriend, isn’t it?”

“Boyfriend?” Harry asked breathlessly. His eyes were wide as they searched Nev’s. 

“If you’ll have me,” Neville replied with a gentle smile. “I was hoping you might want to keep me after we leave here. I certainly want to keep you.”

The incandescent happiness that radiated off of Harry as he giggled stole Neville’s breath away, and he took a moment to dedicate the sound to memory. He felt as if his heart may burst through his chest when Harry finally grinned and said, “Of course I want to keep you! For as long as you will have me.”

_Forever then_ , Neville thought to himself as he gazed down at his beautiful little stag before he leaned in to reclaim his mouth.

  
  


___

  
  


Four hours later, the two had made love three times more, including once in the shower that they had shared, and were just putting the finishing touches on their outfits as they readied to head out to the Burrow. 

Harry fidgeted in front of the mirror, adjusting the deep-V of his soft black singlet for the sixth time as he watched Neville carefully securing his oxblood oxfords while he sat on the chaise opposite the foot of their bed. He looked incredibly dashing in his charcoal slacks and matching dress shirt, unbuttoned just low enough for the tattoos on his chest to peek through, and topped with a fitted evening jacket made of maroon velvet with black satin lapels.

That someone who was so smart, kind, loyal and handsome had actually chosen to be with him floored Harry, and he couldn’t help but worry over the small voice that was nagging at the back of his mind.

Oliver had been all of those things, and while they had dated for a year and a half, Harry had never been able to display any sign of their relationship in public. To do so would have done irreparable damage to Ollie’s image and put his career at risk, a concern which Harry had now begun to worry about in regards to Neville's position. While the wizarding world as a whole was more accepting of people’s sexuality than the Muggle community, there were still many amongst the pure-blood community who frowned upon relationships being carried out between two people of the same sex, and there were so many pure-blood families whose children attended Hogwarts, even after the war. 

Did that mean that when they went to the party tonight, Harry was going to have to go back to pretending he and Neville were just friends? Thinking back to his relationship with Oliver, Harry suspected that’s exactly what was going to happen, and his heart sank. 

As if he could feel Harry’s discomfort, Neville glanced up and gave him a worried smile. Standing up, he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist. Kissing his temple and looking back at him in the mirror as he softly asked, “What’s the matter, baby? Are you still nervous about tonight?”

“Kind of,” Harry murmured, suddenly struggling to meet Nev’s beautiful blue eyes.

“You’re starting to worry me,” Neville said as he softly began to rock Harry back and forth. Tenderly spreading kisses along Harry’s neck as he sweetly urged him to open up. “Talk to me, love. Tell me what’s going on.”

"We don't have to tell anyone that we're seeing each other at the party tonight. Not if you don't want to," Harry said quietly, swallowing against the pain that blossomed in his chest over even speaking such words aloud. His voice trembled as he continued, “I understand if you don't.”

"Like hell I don't," Neville replied darkly as anger and protectiveness swirled together in his chest, bubbling up to the surface as he realised that Harry expected to be hidden away like some sort of dirty little secret. 

Harry's brows knitted together and it was almost as if he hadn't heard what Nev had said as he quietly soldiered on, "There are still so many cruel people in this world. I’d understand if you’re worried about receiving pushback at work. If you don’t want your students' parents to find out and complain..." 

His concerns were voiced hesitantly, obviously spurred by concern over the impact that their relationship may have on Neville's position at Hogwarts. Neville's mood shifted upon witnessing such clear selflessness, adoration rising inside of him as he saw the worry that was written so clearly across Harry's features. 

Turning Harry around to face him, Nev reached out and stroked his cheeks then framed them with his hands. Gently pressing up beneath Harry's chin until their eyes met, he ran his thumb tenderly back and forth across Harry's soft lower lip. Nev held his gaze until he was certain that he had Harry's full attention before replying in a gentle yet fierce tone.

"I don’t know who did that to you—who hid you away—but I would never, ever do that. I need you to understand that, Harry. I will never hide you away. And as far as angry parents go? Fuck them. Fuck anyone who would try to stand between us. We will cut every single person who has the nerve to try and separate us from each other from our lives like the cancer that they are. Besides, Minerva would never acquiesce to those kinds of small-minded, petty complaints."

Hope began to blossom in Harry's chest at the earnestness reflected back to him in Neville's gaze and he felt the vice that had been tightening around his chest begin to release. _Is this real?_ he wondered to himself. Revelling in the possibility that not only had he found his way back to the man of his dreams but that he also needn't worry about cloaking their relationship from the rest of the world. 

Smiling at the dreamy look that had settled over his face, Nev leaned in and softly claimed his mouth, drawing out the caress before slowly pulling away and resting their foreheads together as he quietly continued.

"I have spent half of my life hiding my feelings for you, from you and the rest of the world. I am not going to waste one more day, not one more hour or minute, pretending that I don't love you. You're mine and I'm yours. If the rest of the world can't accept that, then they are the ones who need to change. Not us."

Harry's eyes widened, welling with tears, and his voice was hushed as he shakily replied, "You love me?"

Neville's gaze softened at the question and the truth of his words was written plainly in his eyes as they adoringly travelled across Harry's face. 

"Quite nearly from the moment I met you," he said with a smile and leaned down to brush the ghost of a kiss across Harry's lips. 

In that moment, Harry wondered how it was possible for him to have been so blind for so long—not just to the way that Neville felt for him but also, he realised, to how he felt for Neville in return. 

"I love you, too," he murmured softly against Nev's lips.

“Good,” Neville said softly, his smile radiating as it seemed to light up the whole room. “Then let’s head out. We’ve got a party to attend.”

  
  


___

  
  


While music and cheerful chatter floated around him, Ron stood leaning against the mantle of the inglenook in his parents’ lounge, staring morosely into the flames. This was the first Christmas he'd spent without Harry in longer than he cared to remember, and Ron missed him terribly. Harry was more than a best friend—over the years he'd become a brother—and the holidays simply weren't the same without him. 

"What's the matter, love?" Hermione asked softly, kissing his shoulder blade as she joined him in front of the fire and rapped her arms around his waist from behind. 

"It just doesn't feel right," he sighed, sliding his hands to rest atop hers as he clung to the comfort of her touch. "Everyone's gone."

"Not everyone, dear," his mum tutted as she and his father walked over to join them by the hearth. But her eyes softened and even she sounded sad as she quietly said, "Just your younger brother."

"And Luna and Rolf," he said, trying desperately to gain ground.

"Neville too," Hermione said forlornly. Clinging tighter to Ron's waist as she softly said, "And with this being the first holiday season since his Gran has passed."

Arthur sighed, looking around at the collection of downcast faces which surrounded him, and pulled the three of them in for a squeeze. Trying to brighten the atmosphere as he warmly said, "Everything will be alright you three. I'm sure Pomona isn't going to let Neville spend Christmas on his own. And Harry will love the Cairngorms. They're gorgeous this time of year."

Hermione pulled back at that and gave him a strange look. 

"What? That's not right," she argued. "It's Neville who's watching the cabin for Luna and Rolf."

Arthur and Molly looked back at her as if she must be pulling their leg, and Ronald shook his head, flummoxed by her assertion.

"No, honey," he pushed back. "Harry's watching the cabin. He told us himself at dinner a couple of weeks back. Remember? You had to work late at the Ministry, so I told you when you got home."

Confusion clouded Hermione's brow, and she was just opening her mouth to contradict him when the four of them were interrupted by George's chipper voice sounding from across the room. 

"Well, would you look at who the cat dragged in!" 

Turning towards the crowded doorway, the four of them spotted none other than Harry himself smiling back at them as he stood with his hands in his pockets and looking happier than he had in months, Ron noticed immediately.

“Harry! Come here and give me a hug,” Molly gushed with a smile, rushing over to him and wrapping him in a motherly embrace. Softly kissing the side of his head, she tenderly murmured, “There’s my darling boy.”

Emotion expanded in Harry’s chest and he smiled, closing his eyes against the tears that were welling up in them as he leaned into her hug. Neville had been right: it felt good to be home.

“Son!” Arthur chortled happily. Clapping him against the back and leaning in to ruffle Harry’s hair as he said, “We thought you weren’t going to be able to make it this year.”

“I know that’s what I said,” Harry said. Smiling at both of them as he continued, “But it just didn’t feel like Christmas without coming home to the Burrow.”

And the three of them smiled at one another as his words rang true. 

“Let Harry go, mum,” Charlie said with a chuckle. “You’re either going to crush the life out of him, or scare him right back up to the North.”

Molly tutted but finally relented, giving Harry one last kiss before pulling away.

“Besides,” George quipped. “Ron will probably lock himself away in his room if he doesn’t get a chance to hug Harry soon.”

“Prat,” Ron muttered. But it was barely a few moments more before he himself had crossed the room and was pulling Harry in for a brotherly hug, albeit much less prolonged than the one their parents had wrangled him into.

“It’s so good to see you, mate,” he said happily and pulled away.

Harry smiled up at his best friend and adoptive brother and softly cuffed his shoulder. 

“It’s good to see you too.”

“Okay, everyone,” Hermione cut in. “Let’s give Harry some space. I’m sure he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his evening hugging every person who walks in this house.”

However, by the look in his eyes, she thought he just might, so she leaned in to steal one anyways. 

Ten minutes later, the three old friends stood huddled around the doorway, laughing and catching up as the party raged on around them when Ron suddenly stopped mid-sentence and gave Harry an odd look.

“What?” Harry asked, looking down at his shirt and brushing it free of any lint that he may have missed while getting dressed.

“You’ve met someone,” Ron said, a smile slowly stretching across his lips.

“Oh. Yeah, I did," Harry said softly. Flushing beneath Ron and Hermione’s intensely focused attention, he faltered before finally finishing, "I mean, no, not really. Well... kind of?” 

“Who is it?” Hermione asked, ducking her head and looking around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping when she realised how loud her voice had come out.

“Yeah. Spill it,” Ron said excitedly. He was much less subtle in his exuberance. “Tell us everything.”

“Actually,” Harry said, heart fluttering in his chest as he continued, “it’s someone you both know.”

“Who?!” Ron demanded as Hermione simultaneously asked, “Is it Ian? That dishy bartender from the Dragon’s Head Inn? I knew he was into you!”

Harry laughed at their excitement and turned a deeper shade of pink when he felt the warm embrace of Neville’s fingers creep up beneath his singlet to rest on the bare skin of his lower back as Nev finally returned from his trip to the loo and came to stand beside him.

“Neville!” Hermione cried, leaning in to give him a side-hug as she gushed, “You came after all!”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Nev smiled down at her, and Harry warmed under the heated glance that Nev sent his way as he asked, “What did I miss?”

“You’ve gotten here just in time,” Ron smiled. He lifted his bottle of beer in a welcoming gesture before tipping it in Harry’s direction and saying, “Har here was just telling us about his newest love interest.”

“Oh, he was, was he?” Nev asked with a teasing smile and, missing the way that his gaze lingered over the man at his side, Hermione grinned and wiggled her own brows.

“Go on then Harry,” she cheerfully urged. “Tell us all about him.”

“Hold that thought,” Nev said as he held up a finger and pointed above his and Harry’s heads. Glancing up, all four of them spotted the collection of white berries and green leaves hanging above from a red satin bow. Then, leaning down, Nev scooped Harry up into his arms and kissed him deeply, for all the world to see. Harry’s blood heated with a mixture of longing and happiness at the unexpected embrace, and he slowly wrapped his arms around Neville’s neck, forgetting their surroundings as he deepened the kiss with a contented sigh. Finally, after they’d snogged just a few moments too long, Neville set him down, leaving Harry’s lips tasting of rum-spiked eggnog and pepper imps.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Nev murmured shamelessly. “Couldn’t miss the opportunity to kiss my boyfriend beneath the mistletoe.”

And just like that, he ensured that their love was drawn out of the shadows and into the light.

  
  


___

  
  


The announcement of his and Neville’s relationship had been met with such merriment and joy that Harry was sure he hadn’t stopped smiling all evening long. He was overjoyed to see how quickly Molly and Arthur began to fawn over his new partner, instantly treating Neville as one of their own. Just as wonderful was the way that Hagrid had burst into tears upon hearing the news and pulled them both into a bone-crushing hug. 

“My boys!” he’d blubbered joyfully. “I always knew ye’d find yer way ta each other!”

The rest of the evening had been spent moving from room to room, stealing kisses in darkened corners, and visiting with friends and colleagues as the two stood hand-in-hand. It was the happiest that Harry could ever remember being in his life. Even more so than when he’d unwrapped his Nimbus 2000 or when he’d stepped into Diagon Alley for the first time. So as the party had begun to die down, he slipped out the back door into the garden, taking a few private moments to gaze up at the Milky Way as he quietly counted his blessings. 

Able to feel the electric pull of Neville's presence before he even heard his approach, Harry smiled as the familiar warmth of Nev’s arms wound around his waist, and he leaned back into his embrace. 

“Tired of me already?” Nev teased, and Harry could hear the smile in his voice as it stretched across his lips.

“Never,” he said and tilted his head to kiss Nev’s jaw where it had been resting against his cheek. 

“So if it’s not me that’s scared you off, what are you doing out here, baby?” Neville asked with a gentle tenderness in his voice.

“Just thanking the universe for finally bringing us together,” he murmured softly, lifting Nev and his entwined fingers up to his lips and spreading gentle kisses across each of them.

“Mmm,” Neville hummed, smiling as he kissed Harry’s temple in return. Joining him in his appreciation of the heavens above. 

They stood like that for quite some time, gently rocking back and forth as they held onto one another, gazing up at the sky which was peppered with constellations until finally, Harry snuggled closer into Neville's arms. 

"Sickle for your thoughts?" Nev whispered, softly brushing a kiss over the tender spot behind his ear.

"I was just wondering if it was you who did this," Harry said softly as he gazed up at the stunning beauty overhead. 

The question confused Neville slightly, but he smiled and pressed a second kiss to Harry's skin before quietly asking, "Did what, darling?"

A soft and dreamy sigh escaped Harry's lips as he continued to look out towards the horizon with pensive wonder, and for a second Neville thought he might not reply. However, a moment later he dropped his head back into Nev's shoulder and, speaking very softly, stole his breath away.

"Was it you who painted the sky for me and dotted it with stars?"

It was in that quiet moment of adoration when both Harry and Neville finally came to understand that soulmates weren't destined for each other from birth, but instead were the people who saw you, scars and all—and, revealing their own, loved you all the more.


End file.
